


Blood Lily

by ekomsfire



Category: EXO (Band), GOT7, Red Velvet (K-pop Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Torture, Blood and Violence, Drug Use, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Gangster Kim Namjoon | RM, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jeon Jungkook is a Brat, Kim Namjoon | RM & Jackson Wang are Best Friends, Kim Taehyung | V is a Little Shit, M/M, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:15:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 41
Words: 195,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25149052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekomsfire/pseuds/ekomsfire
Summary: "You are just a kid that was abandoned on the doorstep, you are no better than him.""You shouldn't lie, puppy.""Will you obey?""What do I smell like, Jungkook-ssi?""Flowers." Jungkook inhaled. "And blood."
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kang Seulgi, Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun, Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin
Comments: 52
Kudos: 132





	1. FAMILY

Ok so Blood Lilly now has a trailer (yay) ! It's just a little something I made to make everything a bit more interesting hehe

Enjoy ! 

The night sky was covered by the heavy rain that had been pouring all day. Some would consider that a bad omen, but at this moment, it was just heavy rain. From time to time, the thunders would scare people in the city and could even make one shiver. This was no ordinary thunderstorm. A bad omen indeed. 

The room was poorly lit by the small yellow lights, but one could certainly see the man's silhouette sitting in the brown leather chair behind the big wooden desk. He was staring at the open window, observing the pouring rain. If one were to look closely, it would be possible to see the impatience in his eyes, but he was good at masking his feelings. He had always been. His face was blank. Not a single emotion could be read on his large pale face. 

He looked so calm that when the doors of the office opened loudly, he didn't even flinch. A man in a black suit slowly walked towards the table and bowed to the middle aged man, who was now putting a cigarette between his lips. 

"It is a boy, sir," The young man extended his hand, offering a lighter. "Would you like me to bring him to you, sir?"

He waited as the other man took a long drag and then exhaled the smoke, a small smirk appearing in the corner of his mouth. 

The man stood up and walked towards the window, staring outside for a while. He proceeded to sigh and turn his head slightly so the young man could see his face. 

"Perfect?"

"Perfect, sir." 

The man seemed to laugh, but it was not loud or clear enough for anyone to hear. The silence made the room even darker and if not for the shift in his attention, no one would have noticed the small child playing with crayons in the corner of the room. He had his focus on the kid for a while and then a smile formed in his face again. It seemed rather endearing. 

"Leave."

"Yes, sir," the young man bowed and turned to leave the room. 

The young child was still immersed in his little drawing. He was not older than 3 years of age, but he already looked much older than he was. Big indeed. The old man still had his attention on the child and for a moment he seemed to want to touch that small head and run his fingers through his thin black hair. Still, he would not dare. The focus was back on the rain pouring outside of the window and he sighed as deeply and loudly as possible. 

"You must not trust anyone in this life, Kim Namjoon. Trust will be the death of you. Do not love broken things, they are the ones that cause the biggest damage," he said softly as he stared outside. 

The child did not pay any attention to his father's mumbling. He was drawing big red and purple circles on a sheet of paper and that seemed much more interesting than the complicated words he was saying. Big colourful circles in such a dark night. It would be comical if it wasn't tragic. 

\------------------------------------------

The thunder roared again and Jungkook was woken from his dreams. He hated thunderstorms. The wind could be heard, while it invaded the room through the cracks in the windows. The whistle was loud enough to make one wake up from one's deep slumber. He tossed and turned, but there was not the slightest possibility that he would fall asleep again. 

The boy in the bed beside his was sleeping soundly and tranquilly. Seokjin was not afraid of storms. In fact he was not afraid of anything. He was his big brother and he definitely acted the part. Jungkook would always be protected by his tall and mighty brother. He stared at his brother for a while before deciding to climb out of his own bed and try to snuggle with Seokjin in his bed. 

He knew his brother would not deny him the affection he desperately needed at this moment, so he did not think twice before lifting the covers and sliding his slim body beside the other one's warm body. 

"Afraid again?" Jin said in a sleepy voice. His eyes still closed. 

Jungkook had woken his brother, but he did not feel bad for it. He knew Seokjin was not going to make him go back to his bed or even get mad, he was nice like that. Not many people got to see this side of him, pure and gentle. Jungkook only felt lucky that he had such a nice person in his life since not many people were like that towards him. Affection was not something he would get from anyone else, apart from Kim Seokjin. 

He shook his head and buried his face in his brother's chest, pulling him closer. Jin shifted his position, making sure both of them were comfortable in the small bed. He would not hug Jungkook back, but Jin did not mind Kook hugging him so close. 

It did not take long before the younger one was fast asleep and Jin stared at him with soft eyes. He was 5 years older than his brother, but in moments like this he felt as if he was Jungkook's father. They did not share blood, but they were family nonetheless. Ever since his mother had abandoned that little person on the doorstep of the Kim family's house, everything changed. 

Jin was only 5 at the time and he did not remember that day, but his earliest memories all have Jungkook in them. The small little kid that was not bright nor had anything good about him, only that stupid smile whenever he saw Seokjin. He would light up like a Christmas tree every time Jin was by his side or just entered the room. He worshiped Kim Seokjin and his brother knew that. It was something he could use to his advantage. 

From an early age, Seokjin had been raised to take over his family business. He was the prince of a very large empire and he knew that. He knew he could not trust people, love or care for anyone. Still he cared for the little Jungkook, the 10 year old that was curled up in his bed hugging him. He liked Jungkook and he knew that kid liked him back. It was a comfortable feeling to have, it felt like home. 

The thunders were still roaring outside but Jungkook was deep in his sleep. He would always sleep very profoundly whenever he hugged Jin. His brother was his safe haven, his rock, the peace and quiet in the middle of the chaos. Jungkook knew he could count on him for whatever he needed. He had lost count of how many people Jin had beaten up because of Jungkook. Whenever someone would beat him at school or pester him because of his past, Jin would make sure that person got what they deserved, a black eye or a bruised lip. 

Jin closed his eyes again and this time they did not open again until the next morning. The storm had passed and Jungkook was still sleeping, clinging onto Seokjin like a leech. 

"Annoying," he said with a faint smile on his lips. 

\------------------------------------------

"Jungkook!" he heard his name as he was pulled out of Dreamland. 

The house was big and the sound echoed through the whole place. Jungkook was still in bed and was woken by the screaming. He opened his eyes slightly and the bright light almost blinded him, the sun was shining on his face. He must have overslept and he knew that would cause him a lot of trouble. He had spent most of the night playing games on his new video game, it was almost dawn when he finally closed his eyes and slept. He quickly got up and put on a t-shirt to make him more presentable. It was an Overwatch shirt, stupid decision. His quick steps got him downstairs in a very short time. 

" _Hyung_ , did you call me?" he asked in a sleepy voice. 

Kim Seokjin was sitting in his office, staring at the young man by the door. He did not look happy. This was not a bad thing, Jin wasn't someone who smiled a lot and most times would make people shiver just by staring at them. Still, Jungkook knew this looked bad. His brother had that look that screamed with killing intent and Kook knew that he was in trouble. Jin looked him up and down, and he could see the twitch on his lips when he saw what the younger one was wearing. _Shit._

"I will sit here and wait for your explanation. My father did not raise a stupid child and I do not have a stupid person as a brother, so I will sit here and let you humour me with your version of the story. If I'm not amused, you will face the consequences," Jin said in a calm tone. Too calm. 

Jungkook shivered slightly and got closer to the big wooden desk, his eyes never leaving the elder. He knew he had messed up and knew exactly what he had done. It was his last year in school and he was on the verge of failing because of his excessive interest in video games. Seokjin most likely had gotten a call from the school to set up a meeting. _Those snitches._ Their father was never around, so everyone just got used to calling Jin whenever Jungkook got into trouble or needed an adult's signature. 

" _Hyung_ , I promise I will not fail. I will get better grades and I will not play video games anymore."

"I am sure you will not. Jung-hwan already took out every single electronic device out of your room. You will not disappoint me, will you, Jeon Jungkook?" Jin stared at him with killing intent in his eyes, but a soft face. 

Jungkook hated when Jin called him like that, "Jeon Jungkook". He would only call him like that when he wanted to make sure Jungkook knew he had to obey. It was his form of humiliation and it always made his heart hurt immensely. Why did he need to remind him that he was not actually his brother? 

"I will not, sir."

"Dismissed," Jin waved his hand towards the door. 

He was humiliated, sad and afraid. Jin had stopped using his hands to make people afraid of him, his words were enough and Kook knew that. His brother could kill a person with only the words that left his plump rose lips. He was a snake and his poison was extremely venomous. Everyone in Busan knew that. Hell, everyone in all of South Korea knew that. Kim Seokjin was famous like that. 

He went back to his room and sat on his chair, twirling a few times before feeling dizzy. His computer and video game were already gone. Jung-hwan hyung must have entered his room when he was talking to Jin. He was stealthy as fuck. 

A feeling of dread took over his whole body and he could see him shake with the shivers that went up and down his spine. He was not scared of anything, except making his brother disappointed. Kook always thought so highly of Seokjinie. If he loved him any more, he would have a temple built in his honor. It was the only person he loved. But still, he was sad. 

"Jeon...Jung...Kook..." he murmured to himself. 

He hated that name, hated not being a "Kim" like his brother. But then again, Jimin was not a Kim either. Their family schematics was complicated. Their father had always been a ladies' man, but at some point in his life he met Seokjinies mom. He loved her so much and she was indeed the love of his life. Love was not something you would find in the Kim family, so eventually the love faded and Jin's mom passed away. He was seven at the time and Jungkook was only a two-year-old baby, he does not remember it. Their father was never the same after that, he became distant and cold. Seokjin knew that better than anyone, that was when he started his training to take over the company. 

In the years following his father became even more distant, focusing his entire time on his business and at some point he started spending a lot of time in Daegu. They remembered the nanny that would take care of them, but they did not remember their own father. A few months later, he came back to Busan with a small kid in his arms. He was younger than Seokjin but older than Jungkook. His name was Jimin, Park Jimin. 

His mother was some woman his father had had an affair with while he was still with Seokjin's mother. As soon as that tiny kid set foot in that house, Seokjin changed. He became as cold as his father and he looked more like an adult than a kid. He would slap Jungkook and tell him to not trust or love anyone, things like that were worthless. 

Jimin was a small little kid, he was sweet and quiet. Very shy. Jungkook always tried to be nice to him, to make him feel at home. After a while, he became his _hyung_ too and they even acted like a family. But Kook knew it was only an act. They were not family and both his brothers did not like each other. Jungkook was just an annoying glue keeping them together and he liked to be like that. 

"KOOK, WHERE ARE YOU?" a voice echoed in his room. Jimin was calling him. 

Jungkook got up and walked to the door, snucking his head out of the small opening he made. He looked both sides of the hallway but did not see anyone there, so he got out of his room. He looked around, scared at the thought of seeing Seokjin again. Kook walked down the hallway and snuck into Jimin's room, scaring his brother. 

"Hell! Can't you knock?"

"I wasn't supposed to get out of my room."

"Seokjin?"

"Yeah..."

"He's extra nasty these days. Something happened with the business. Father has been gone for too long too," Jimin seemed to be talking to himself. 

Being the middle child was not easy and Jungkook knew that, but it was even harder for a bastard middle child. Jimin would not inherit the business and was rarely considered as family by his father and Seokjin. He had suffered in the hands of his older brother, who would use his venomous tongue to make sure Jimin knew his place in the family. It was brutal to watch, but there was nothing Jungkook could do. 

At some point, he decided he would only spend half of the year in Busan. The rest of the year he would go back to his mother in Daegu and would not even send a message. This was him escaping the sad life of the Kim family. Three brothers not bound by blood, but by obligation. Sad. It would be an awesome TV drama if anyone wanted to write a fucked up story of hate and sadness. Jungkook shook his head trying to chase those thoughts away. 

"He's just working hard, that's all. But where are you going, Daegu again? So soon?"

"Yes, I need a break from the craziness. I'll be back, Kookie. Behave, ok?"

"Yeah, yeah. No need to act like my mother."

"If I were your mother, your face wouldn't be ugly like that," he said with a sly smile on his face. 

Jungkook sat on his bed and watched closely as his brother put his folded shirts in his suitcase. He loved to watch his brothers do anything, it didn't matter what. It was his way of calming his thoughts and having something similar to a normal family, people who did ordinary stuff. Unfortunately, the Kim family was far from ordinary. 

At that time, Kook did not know that this would be the last time he would see his brother for a long time. Years would pass before Jimin stood in front of him again. At that moment, everything was much simpler than now. People were alive, he had his family and things were simple. 

The bag was packed and Jimin bid his farewells to Kook, holding his hand in a soft way. He had his puppy eyes and that made Jungkook laugh out loud. 

"Please, behave. I don't want to come back and hear that that motherfucker did something to you, ok?"

"That motherfucker is our brother."

"He's no one's brother, not mine nor yours. He's a devilish snake and an asshole. Don't think too highly of him Kookie, he is not the man you think he is," Jimin said with fire in his eyes.

Kim Seokjin and Park Jimin hated each other immensely, but Kook loved both of them equally. He could not consider a life without either of them and the sheer thought of losing one of his brothers would make him shiver. Jimin noticed the youngest movement and put his hand on his shoulder, reassuring him that everything would be ok. Still, the warning he had given Jungkook was the truest thing he had ever spoken. Seokjin was a snake. 

They both had done horrible things in order to get rid of the other, unspeakable things. Jungkook knew everything they did, but never told anyone about it. Whenever he could, he would take the fall for the things his brothers did. He was loyal like that. Seokjin would find that stupid while Jimin would say that it was sad, Kook called it love. Blind love. 

"I promise to not get into trouble," he lifted his pinky finger in front of Jimin's face. 

That was Jimin's cute gesture. Kook knew that it would yank a smile out of that sour face of his and he was right. Jimin was smiling again and raised his tiny finger, locking it with Jungkook's. It was their little thing, a brotherly gesture. It was their way of expressing their love and care for eachother. 

"Have a safe trip. Maybe stay longer," Jin said in a deep voice. 

Their soft moment was interrupted by Seokjin's words as he leaned on the doorframe of his office, staring at them. Their older brother had a disapproving face, but still had his soft smile on his face. Kook knew that look, it was disdain and he hated it. If one were to look at the scene in front of them, the person could think this was just a jealous brother acting out. Jungkook knew that this was a warning, a big one. 

Jimin rolled his eyes so hard that it was amazing that he could not see his own brain by now and he turned back to Jungkook. He did not bother to dignify Jin with an answer, still he was mad. Very much indeed. Jimin wasn't a person that got mad easily, he was calm and shy. But when it came to Seokjin, anyone could feel the hatred he had towards that man. 

"Kookie, beware of the fox in sheep's clothing. Betrayal runs deep in Kim blood, _JEON_ Jungkook." He emphasized Kook's last name with a higher note. 

Jin had had enough and walked towards his brothers with all hell in his eyes. Jungkook quickly moved in front of Jimin, now standing between his two brothers. He knew he was going to get hurt, physically and emotionally. Jimin was smiling and Jin had his serious face back on. The fight was inevitable. 

"Please _hyungs_ , don't," Jungkook said with a sigh. 

Jin looked at him and for a moment, Kook could see something he had never seen before. Sadness. It was a weird mask and he did not know how to react to it. Jimin must have realized too, because his head was slightly tilted and his brows furrowed. He did not understand it either. Seokjin let out a big sigh and turned away from the two men, walking towards his office again. 

"Are you even human, Kim Seokjin?"

"I will not have another argument with you Jimin, I am extremely tired. Leave or stay, it does not matter to me."

"It never has. You cannot feel anything, that's the legacy of the Kim family. Sad and depressed people. I will not be like you or your father."

"Your father."

"A name on a piece of paper means nothing. I do not have a father and I would like to keep it that way" 

"Wouldn't we all?" Jin said with his back to his brothers. 

Those words took both Jimin and Jungkook by surprise. Jin had never spoken ill of the old man, never said a bad word about him. Hell, he praised him to an unnatural extent. How come he was saying that he wished he was not his son? It did not make any sense and Jimin was clearly bothered by such a comment. Did they finally find something in common? 

Jungkook was shocked and could not hold back the small tears that began to form in the corner of his eyes. He sniffled slightly, but both his brothers could hear him and turned their attention to the youngest. Jungkook finally understood the expression on Seokjin's face, indeed it was sadness. His brother had finally broken into a thousand pieces that were being held together by whatever glue he had and now they were all scattered. Something had happened. 

"Kookie are you okay?" Jimin asked in a soft tone. 

Seokjin slowly walked back to the two men and was now standing on his side. Jungkook could no longer bear the fighting of his brothers, he had had enough of it. It was sad and tiresome. Before any of them could do anything, he had hugged them together forcing the three faces to collide.

Grunts could be heard and his brothers tried to break loose, however Kook was not that skinny young boy he had once been anymore. He had grown up into a well built young man and his strength was much bigger than Jimin's or Jin's, he was going to use that in his favor. The tears streamed down his face and made both of his brothers stop struggling against his grasp. They both sighed and stopped. 

"I don't know why we ended up together, but I do not want to lose either of you. I forgave all the mistakes you both ever made, I suffered for both of you and I even got hurt because of you. For once, stop. It's been years and it is enough," he said as he loosened the grasp on both and they escaped his forced hug. 

Jimin was staring at Jungkook, eyes red. Seokjin would not dare to cry in front of a living person, but his face was contorted. The silence was murderous and loud, but no one dared to break it. 

"I am sorry Kookie. I promise I won't make you sad again," Jimin finally spoke while holding his brother. 

"I am sorry, Jungkook," Jin spoke from afar, but honestly. 

Their conversation did not last long after that, in fact it wasn't even a conversation. Jimin and Jungkook exchanged nice and warm words towards each other as Seokjin watched both of them like a hawk. Jimin finally grabbed his suitcase and left, shutting the door behind him with a gentle tugg. Always the calm person. 

Seokjin was still staring at Kook, his eyes calm. He truly seemed like he wanted to talk, like he desperately needed so. But we were talking about Kim Seokjin, he did not let anyone in. He sighed once more and left Jungkook alone in the living room, heading inside his office and closing the door. Kook was alone again. Sometimes the mansion could feel awfully small and packed, but at times like these, it would feel enormous and lonely. 

He was not going to swallow this and go back to his room like nothing had happened. Seokjin needed him and he knew it. He would probably hear something nasty and then he would go back to his room, feeling sad. But he had to try. He walked up to the sliding doors and hesitated for a second. Did he truly want to enrage his brother? Feelings and Kim Seokjin did not mix well and Kook knew that. Fuck it. 

He slid the door open and walked inside. Jin was sitting in his chair and raised his head to look at Jungkook. Something was extremely wrong. Jin had tears in his eyes. What the fuck was going on? Kook ran to his brother, ignoring the normal protocol to stay away at all times. 

Once he was in front of Jin, he fell to his knees and hugged his brother close. Jin sobbed. It was the first time in his life he had seen Seokjin cry. It was the saddest thing he had ever seen, a frozen man crying was a unique sight. It was scary. More than sad, Jungkook felt his heart tighten as he did not understand the magnitude of his brother's actions. Jungkook could no longer hold back the tears and cried with his face buried in Seokjin's broad shoulder. The brothers were the closest they had ever been in years, but they were the saddest they had ever been. 

"Let go of me, Jungkook," Jin said between sobs. 

He was scared of what Jin might do to him later, but right now it did not matter. Jungkook wanted to be there for his brother, wanted to support him and tell him that everything would be okay. He would not let go, not right now. Something big had happened or was going to happen, but he did not know what. At that time, Jungkook could only hope that everything would be okay. Years later, he would eventually learn why Jin had cried that day.

"I won't let you go. Ever. Don't try to push me away, I will not budge," Jungkook said, taking his face out of his brother's shoulder.

Jungkook was now staring back at Jin who had his face buried in his palms. It was heartbreaking to watch. He rubbed his fingers on his brother's cheek, like he used to do when Kook was younger. It would always calm him down, so he thought that it would calm Seokjin too. It indeed calmed him, but it also made him change his expression. He grabbed Jungkook's hand with all the power that he had. It hurt, but Kook did not say a thing. He took hold of one of his fingers and slowly bent it backwards. 

"Now, you listen to me Jeon Jungkook. Don't you ever feel sorry for me. Don't you dare think I am weak like you two." He bent his brother's finger even more. "Because I am not and I will not be treated like I am. You are different from me and Jimin, but you will eventually understand why I did every single thing I did. When that day comes, you will not forgive me. I do not or will not need your forgiveness. You will forget about me and leave. Do you understand?" Jin bent Jungkook's finger even more. 

He was scared out of his mind. Jungkook had never seen that face or heard that voice on his brother in his life. He felt as if he was talking to a demon and not the Kim Seokjin he had grown up with, this was not his brother. He did not know this person. Jungkook could not muster the courage to answer what Jin had asked. He was too afraid of the person in front of him. 

_CRACK_

His finger was broken and he was now curled up on the floor screaming and holding his finger. Seokjin got up from his chair and was staring at his baby brother, who was bawling on the floor of his office. His expression was even darker than before. This was the scariest moment of Jungkook's life, the day he saw Seokjin's true face. He finally saw the fox Jimin was talking about. 

"The pain you feel right now, will stay with you for the rest of your life and you will not forget that I was the one that made you feel like that. I hope you will remember that," Jin said in a cold tone. 

He grabbed his phone and seemed to call someone, a few moments later Jung-hwan took Jungkook out of the office and drove him to the E.R. Jin knew exactly how to break a finger, he had done it before. Kook had seen him do it to people who bothered Jungkook at school and he was always very calm about it, like it was something ridiculous or natural to him. Indeed it was, he had even done it to his brother. Still, Jungkook was a pathetic fuck. He eventually forgave Seokjin, even though his finger remained crooked for the rest of his life.

  
  



	2. BUSINESS

"Grab that tie. The black one," Seokjin said lightly. 

Jungkook had bloodshot eyes, his head spinning. Jin was sitting on the edge of the bed holding a black suit in his hands. His face was somber and his eyes were unfocused. Jungkook did as he was told and brought back the black tie to his brother. Funeral clothes never seemed to be easy to pick, but this was the first time Jungkook was wearing one for a family funeral so it made that task one million times worse. 

Their father had passed away. 

Hate was not that good of a word to define how he felt towards that man. When he was a kid, he used to look up to him and think highly of the man he once called father. After Jimin left, everything slowly began to change. The praise slowly turned into disdain and hatred, and now Jungkook despised that old man more than anything. He was not too keen on Seokjin either, but he was more tolerable because he had seen what his older brother had endured from his father. He would do anything to hide the purple and green bruises on his body. Father never hit where people could see, that was too much of a humiliation for him. Until the day Seokjin made a big mistake and his father cut his face with a letter opener. On that day, Jungkook declared war against that man. 

He was not a kid anymore and he had grown into a man that was very different from the highschool student Jungkook from a few years ago. He was now 23 and on his way to graduate from university. When Kook finished highschool, the old man made sure he was going to a good university to graduate in something that would be good for a career in their business. Weirdly enough, Jungkook was not really aware of what the Kim family business was. He did not want to go into accounting or anything like that. He wanted to major in arts or cinema, but his father did not give him an option. Fuck he hated that man. But still he went to university and was learning something for the business. 

He knew that they worked with trades and would have their hands on every single kind of business available, from apartment complexes to restaurants. It was almost like a mafia, but he knew better. His father was not that kind of man and Seokjin was definitely not someone who would get mixed up with anything of the sort. He was too much of a gentleman for that. 

He grew up shielded from the world with a total of zero friends, which was not weird since the kids in his school all feared his psychopath brother. He did not blame Jin for his lack of friends, he was thankful he did not have to deal with those fake people. One day they would bow to someone and the next day to another. It was all so fake, Jungkook hated it. So for this reason, he was not lonely. He was relieved. 

Seokjin would now inherit the business, Jungkook would finish his degree and go work alongside his brother in the family business. That would be their life from now on, but he did not want that at all. He wanted to get away, leave Busan behind and go live somewhere else. Somewhere he wasn't a part of the Kim family and he could just be Jeon Jungkook. He shook his head and focused on the task of putting on his black suit for his father's funeral. His brother was already dressed and everyone was just waiting for Jungkook. 

"Is Jimin coming?"

"I called him, but I do not know if he will come. Don't worry about that now."

"Did you actually call him? You heard his voice?"

"Jungkook, please focus," Jin sighed. 

They were already late and he knew his brother was losing the last bit of patience he had. Jungkook needed to put on his clothes fast and join the rest of the members in the memorial service. Jin stood up and left his room, the clothes carefully laid on his bed. Jungkook started crying as soon as the door closed. 

Everyone came to pay their respects, people from all over Busan and from neighboring cities. Jungkook did not know who those people were and why they all felt extremely suspicious, but he bowed and thanked all of them. 

" _Aigoo_ , little Jungkookie is all grown up! Don't hesitate to call the family if you need something. Anything!"

_Thank you._

"My condolences, the family is extremely sad for you loss Jungkook-ssi."

_Thank you._

"Only your father could make all these grown men cry. Ruthless even in death. The family sends their condolences."

_Thank you._

At some point it had all become mechanical, so Jungkook just stopped listening. He was confused. Ruthless? Family? What the fuck was going on? His father was just a businessman and somehow made people cry and think he was ruthless. He indeed was a brute and cold man, this was nothing new. Still, _ruthless_ was not something Jungkook would use to describe that man 

Jin looked at his young brother and could see the chaos in his head, he put his hands on Jungkook's shoulder and shook him out of his misery. Kook looked at Jin with fog in his eyes and saw his brother was worried. 

"Why don't you go eat something? I will deal with the rest of the service and then join you, ok?" he said in a soft voice. 

Jungkook nodded and proceeded to leave the room, walking to the dining hall. The smell of flowers was unbearable and it was making him dizzy. Jungkook hated flowers, one in particular, lilies. That obnoxious flower always seemed to find a way into his life and he would always throw it away or burn those smelly petals out of existence. There were no lilies at the memorial, but seeing all those flowers and smelling them made him think about it. 

His mother had left a lily on top of the basket in which he was found, he knew that was the reason he despised that flower just as he despised his mother for abandoning him. The funny thing was, a few years back he had tattooed the damn flower on his back. The drawing took up most of his back skin and there were only a few places where people could still see the skin. The tattoo artist asked if he liked lillies that much and Kook explained that there was nothing he hated more than that flower. He laughed at that man's confused face. 

He sat down on one of the tables that were empty with one of the trays of food, his legs crossed. He pulled on his tie making it loose and breathable, this thing was fucking annoying. As he swallowed the scary amount of food in front of him, he felt someone sit in the empty seat in front of him. He lifted his head and was about to tell that person to fuck off to some other table, when he realized who it was. 

Jungkook choked on the food, making the other man laugh. He had not seen or heard that laugh in almost four years. 

"I see you haven't changed a bit, Kookie."

" _Cough_ ...Ji... _cough_...min"

"Yes, yes. I am back. For good, I swear." He raised his pinky to Jungkook's face. 

He was frozen in place and could only stare, Jimin was as handsome as ever. His face was thinner, his jawline could cut a curious finger and his hair was blonde. _Damn, he was a pretty sight_. He had always been extremely handsome and would make girls look at him twice before looking away. Hell, even men did that. It was hard to compete with such beauty, so Jungkook just accepted the fact that he was never going to look as good as his brother. But now, oh now this was just unfair. Jimin was seriously aiming for god-like beauty and Jungkook was a mere mortal. 

"You are back? Where the fuck were you? You know how much shit I had to endure after you left? You know what the fuck happened the day you left? Do you know…" Jungkook was breathless. 

He had spoken so fast and so intensely that the air in his lungs disappeared, making him stop mid sentence. Jimin found it extremely amusing and propped his head on his hand while staring back at his younger brother. This was weird, but still it smelled like home. 

"How have you been, Kookie?"

"Fucking awesome! You see, let me tell you my life story. My beloved brother abandoned me in a house with my psychopath brother and absent father when I was a highschool student. I almost went crazy, but I was not allowed to because if I did, I would get hit either by the psycho or by the absent dad that would only show up to make me suffer. Then I went to college and tried to get rid of the abusive relationship I had with my family, but guess what? They are leeches and did not let me go. So yeah, I have been living under semi house arrest for the past 4 years. How about you dear brother?" he said in a weirdly calm manner. 

Those words had been stuck in Jungkook's throat for a long time and now that his father was dead, he had no reason to swallow it back down. The asshole was dead and Seokjin would inherit the business, which meant he would not see him so often and he would be finally free from his abusers. It was the only thing that made him survive all those years. The death of his father and the distancing from his eldest brother. Jimin's face showed pain and Jungkook knew his brother was suffering too, still he was not going to forgive him that easily. 

If there was one thing Jungkook had learned well was how to make people suffer with words and simple gestures. So why not make use of his ability and make his brother feel a bit of the pain he had to endure for the past four years while he was away? Life was certainly easy for Jimin, he had the looks for that. But what about Jungkook, his little Kookie? Did he deserve any of what had happened to him? _Fuck no._ Still, he endured. 

"You probably think life was awesome for me, don't you?"

"I cannot say you look like someone who has suffered a lot..."

"Oh Jungkookie, you are still so blind to what is in front of you."

"You are talking about the fox? Yeah, the psychopath is a fox alright. But so are you.”

Jimin was taken aback by Jungkook's words, indeed he had learned from the best. He was going to have his fun and Jimin was a good target for his dagger-like words. He could see that the man was pained but still remained calm. Jungkook had lost his appetite and pushed the food to the side of the table. He calmly put down his chopsticks and stared back at his brother, a sly smile on his face. He knew he had struck Jimin and he wasn't finished. _This is only round one, my dear brother._

"Oh Jiminie _hyung_ , you might still think I'm the stupid kid that was blinded by his love for his brothers, but I have changed. Quite a bit actually. I now know I cannot trust anyone, especially those who are cowards and leave."

"Oh you take me for a coward, Jeon Jungkook? I'm not our father." 

"He fucked your mom, not mine. He is nothing of mine," he said leaning closer.

Jimin was hurt, deeply hurt. Jungkook always knew his mother was not a subject he could touch, but now he was speaking ill of her and Jimin let his annoyance show. He stared back at Jungkook trying hard not to show him anything, but Kook could see. Jimin was pained and it showed all over, his smile turning bigger. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot the Kim, Park, Jeon family has a lot of mommy issues. My bad."

"You talk like someone who has nothing to lose, Kookie. Don't think that because the old man is dead, that you are off the hook."

" _Aigoo hyung_ , if I didn't know you, I'd say you are threatening me with your empty words," he said with the biggest smile possible. 

Both were staring at each other, murderous intent filled the room. The sparks were flying everywhere and Jungkook had no intention to stop, he was having too much fun. He knew Jimin was not stupid, he had never been, but Jungkook's words had taken him aback and Kook was just enjoying the taste of blood. Just another psychopath for the family. 

"Well Jimin hyung, I have no intention to waste any more of your precious time. Feel free to go pay your respects to your father, God knows how much he missed his little bastard."

"Jungkook, don't act so high and mighty. You are just a kid that was abandoned on the doorstep, you are no better than him. Jimin, come with me." Jin had appeared out of nowhere and had now ended the fun Jungkook was having in the worst way possible, humiliating him. 

Jin was staring down at both of his brothers, disdain written all over his face. He despised Jimin and he had no more patience for Jungkook's attitude. He had finally become the head of the family and would now, finally, discipline those two the way he saw fitting. First step, humiliation. Seokjin was a master at that. Take someone's soft spot and step on it until it bleeds, once you see the blood, continue stepping on it. But Jungkook was not done with him either. _Let's go to round two, dear brother._

"And here we have him, the head of the Kim family. How are you feeling now that you are no longer going to get hit by daddy? Did you know that, Jimin _hyung_? A 28 year old that still gets beaten by his dad when he messes up. Well you can rest now dear brother, the dead can't hurt you."

"Jungkook, that's enough. You are pushing your limits." This time the warning came from Jimin. 

Jungkook wouldn't have it, he was not finished with either of them. He was bubbling with rage and those two self-centered motherfuckers were going to listen to him for once in their life. Going to listen to all he had to say and he would not be interrupted.

"Why would I stop? Did you guys stop trying to kill each other when I begged both of you and received all the blows from father? Did Seokjin stop or did he continue to push my finger back until it broke? Did you stop when I begged you to not say those words against Seokjin? Did father stop..." He was breathless again. 

This time it was not the air in his lungs that had ended, a hand was holding his throat and interrupting the air circulation. First, he thought the hand was Jin's, it would make more sense. But when Jungkook looked again, the hand on his neck was pale and small. Jimin. He was strongly holding Jungkook's neck and he had a small smile on his face. Kook was gasping for air as the hand held tighter, still he did not try to make Jimin stop. Death was more pleasant than what his life was at the moment. 

"My baby brother, your voice has become annoying. This is not how the Kim family does business. We are all going back home to talk and you will remain silent until you are allowed to speak again. Understood?" Jimin said in a calm voice. 

Jin left and Jimin followed, Jungkook remained seated for a while before he could rise and follow his brothers back to the house. He walked up to the front of the building and could see Seokjin sitting in a black car in front of the entrance. He walked past the doors and entered the car, sitting quietly beside his brother. 

"Go," Seokjin told his driver. 

The house was empty as always, but for some reason it felt like it was even more lonely inside that big white mansion. When Jungkook and Seokjin entered the house, they could see another set of shoes on the doorway, Gucci. Jimin had already arrived. The living room was filled with the smell of flowers from all the bouquets that had been sent because of their father's passing and Jimin was sitting on a chair in the middle of the bouquets. Jungkook got dizzy with the smell. _Fucking flowers._

"You have arrived. Great. Jungkook darling, remember to stay quiet. Can you do that for your hyungs?" Jimin asked in a sarcastic tone. 

Jungkook did not dignify him with an answer, instead he walked across the room towards the small bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. If he was having this conversation, he would not have it sober. _Fuck those two._

"It would be polite to pour some for your brothers too."

"Pour your own shit, I'm not your bartender," he said while he sat down on the chair. 

Seokjin sighed while he poured the whiskey into two crystal cups, one rock of ice for each. He took the drink and placed it into Jimin's tiny hand, not bothering to look at him. He then sat down and let out a deep sigh while he stared at both of his brothers. 

"No reason for politeness with any of you, you are not worth it. I will talk, after I finish Jimin can talk and at the end we will decide if you get to talk too, Jungkook. You are fucking annoying and I don't have the patience to listen to your crap right now." 

"Agreed," Jimin said as he took a sip and crossed his legs.

_Such a fucking diva._

Seokjin stared at both of them as if organizing his own thoughts. He was too tired to be nice and polite to either of them. It had been a long day and his father was actually dead. That was the truth, they hated each other to the bones and their father was dead inside a coffin. That day could not get any worse. 

"I will not apologize to either of you for what I did or didn't do. You both deserved what you got and so did I. I am not in any way responsible for what the fuck you do with your lives, but if you want to stay in the family business you will do as you are told. Jimin, if you came here to try to steal my position, I am sorry to inform you that I will have to kill you if you try. Jungkook, it's time you understood the family business and decided if you want to be a part of it or not."

"Oh this is so much more interesting than I thought it would be. You actually haven't told him anything? You are indeed a fox, Seokjin!"

"I wasn't finished and I will not be interrupted in my own house. We are a family, not by blood but by obligation." He took out a paper from his chest pocket inside his jacket. "You two were too stupid to realize, but you did sign a document."

Seokjin handed the document to the amused Jimin and let him have a look at it. Jimin laughed so hard the chair tilted back and he almost fell out of it. He stared at the document and read it through twice. The laughter grew louder every time he read the words. 

"So I am a possession of the family? You _OWN_ me, Kim Seokjin?"

"I own both of you. You signed and that's it." Jin said as he folded the paper to put it back in his pocket.

At this moment, Jungkook could not hold back anymore. What the fuck did he mean by owning him? He was just a possession to his father and the family? What family? Everything was confusing and the alcohol was not helping. He opened his mouth to say something, but both his brothers stared at him with a look that told him to stay quiet. He gave up and gulped the last drop of whiskey in his glass. He stood up and poured another glass of whiskey for him, this time he put twice as much. 

"Now that this is out of the way, we can move on. Jungkook, do you have any idea what the family business is?" 

"You are probably going to tell me we are necks deep in illegal shit, aren't you?" 

"Yes."

"Well, we have a lot of money. We must be big then."

"Yes."

"So we are the biggest gang in Busan?"

"We are not a pathetic little _kkangpae_ . We own Busan and some satellite cities. We are businessmen, but _our_ business has more intricate nuances than the ordinary business. We only answer to the family from Seoul."

"Interesting..." Jungkook said while he took another sip of his drink. 

Jimin was thoroughly amused by now, he could see the anger in Seokjin's eyes and the lack of interest in Jungkook's, or so he thought. Jungkook stared at his drink for a while and then looked at both his brothers, expecting to see something. He wanted to know if he could speak his mind. Jin caught up on the unspoken question and then nodded lightly, Jimin understood and nodded too, a bit too intensely. 

"So we are a syndicate and I have to decide if I want to hang out with you criminals or if I want to leave? Wait. I can't leave. The family owns me. So I have no choice other than become a criminal like the both of you? Wow I love this family. So many choices!"

"If you are going to continue with this sarcasm, I will shut your mouth myself."

"Oh already the drug lord! So intense!" he clapped his hands.

Jin was not at all amused at the stupidity Jungkook was spilling out of his mouth. In his mind, he was a spoiled little brat that needed to be taught a lesson. Seokjin knew exactly what he was going to do, he had the plan set out in front of him. But Jungkook knew nothing, he was just talking more than he should because he was in pain. He was sad and angry because no one had asked him how he felt, at this moment he finally exploded. Jungkook rose and threw the glass against the wall, breaking it into tiny pieces. Both his brothers flinched and stood on the edge of their seats. 

"Since I am tired of both of you, I will speak. Has anyone in this family ever asked me what I wanted to do? Any of you ever wondered what the fuck Jungkook was feeling? Have any of these thoughts ever crossed your thick skulls? I NEVER GET TO CHOOSE! If I chose Jimin, I would disappoint and hurt Seokjin and vice-versa. If I chose to get another major, I would be beaten to death. If I chose to leave, you would hunt me down and bring me back. If I chose to befriend someone, that person would regret it five seconds later because they knew who the fuck my family was." he was crying again. 

Neither Jin nor Jimin made a sound, they knew Jungkook was right. Still, no one could choose in that family. They never chose to be born into such a complicated world and they all just accepted their fate. Some people did it better than others. But Jungkook was a kid and he was angry. At that moment he did not think about the sacrifices both his brothers made and was solely focused on his own suffering. At this moment he made a grave mistake, to ignore their suffering and reduce their pain to something small. He would regret it later. 

"You," he stared at Jimin. "You went away! You left! You could have left all this behind but still you came back. Your greedy ass came back for more. You always wanted what Seokjin had, wanted his toys, his friends, his life and I bet you want his position now. You call others foxes, but you are a sly motherfucking fox yourself, you self-centered annoying fuck!" 

Jimin stared at him, the smile faltered for a second but it came back just as strong. He was amused and wanted to answer right away, but he was so curious to hear what Jungkook had to say about Seokjin. So he let the boy throw his tantrum at him, listening silently. 

"Oh and the almighty Kim Seokjin. YOU FUCKING PSYCHOPATH! You made my life miserable from the moment I set foot in this house. You are always looking down on people like everyone else was beneath you, like you were a god. You are shit! You only knew how to make people sad and break bones, that's all you are. That's all you know how to do. You are as pathetic as him, but at least he doesn't try to hide it like you." 

"Jimin?" Jin said in a soft tone. 

"Can I go first? You don't mind it, do you?" Jimin answered sarcastically. 

Jin only nodded and Jimin got up. He walked past the youngest and reached the bar behind him. He poured himself another glass of whiskey and walked back to his seat. Jimin took a sip and crossed his legs again, resting the glass on the small coffee table in the center of the rug. 

"Well are you done with your tantrum? Good. You are a spoiled little brat who thinks he knows everything. You know nothing, my dear Kookie. You think I left because I wanted? Our dear beast of a father told me very nicely that he would kill my mother if I did not leave. I came back because I wanted to? I would live my whole life away from this place if I could, but my dear brother reminded me of my obligations and forced me to come back to fulfill them. So I did. Your stupid head is just too simple to understand any of it. So my dear brother, fuck you." Jimin said calmly. 

Jungkook was startled by his brother's response, he had no idea. He never wondered what had happened to Jimin after he left, he just thought he was tired and ran away. He labelled him as a coward, as weak and Jimin was none of this. He felt desperate. He felt as if he had betrayed the only person that cared about him. Seokjin had not made a move, but now Kook was very much afraid of what was coming. 

"As Jimin said, you are a spoiled brat and indeed you know nothing about what we had to endure. Your life was hard? Tough shit, so was ours. You don't hear me throw a tantrum whenever things don't go the way I want them to go. There were so many times in my life when I wanted to just snap your pretty little neck, but I decided otherwise. And in all those moments, I was being merciful. You have no idea what our father had planned for you, no idea what I had to take in your place. So you are sad that you took a couple of beatings? Well, I am so sorry that it hurt, but life is like that. It's not pretty. And in the end, I had to kill my own father to save your sorry little ass. So you should at least bow the fuck down to me, because I AM a god and I decided to let you live," he said while taking a sip of his glass. 

It was admirable how Seokjin could say the most fucked up things with a straight face and a calm tone. It was almost alluring. Jungkook was breathless and his head was spinning again. He felt as if he was going to throw up. What had he just heard? Seokjin had killed their father because of Jungkook? He had actually done that? The room spun twice and he fell to his knees, puking all over the rug. Jimin roared with laughter and this time he actually fell from his chair. 

"OH MY GOD, HE ACTUALLY THREW UP! _Hyung_ did you see that?" Jimin said while he laughed out loud. 

Seokjin was unamused. He left the room and came back with a white cloth that he had wet on the kitchen sink. He bent his knees, cleaned the vomit on Kook's face and when he was done, he cleaned what was on the floor. It was mostly liquid, alcohol. Jimin stared at his brothers and gave them an intense look. He was intrigued. He stood up and walked towards them, kneeling as well. 

He took his small hand and ran his fingers through his little brother's hair, untying the small knots that had formed. Jungkook was half dead and half alive, not daring to look at any of the men that were kneeling in front of him. He had fucked up, big time. He spoke his mind and his mind was that of a child, clueless. He did not know what Jimin had endured nor did he know what Seokjin had done to protect him. 

"I am so...so...sorry, _hyungs_." he finally mumbled, tears falling down his face. 

For the first time in a long time, Jungkook received a hug. Jimin and Jin exchanged looks and gave him what he so badly wanted, a hug. Both hugged him tightly, assuring him it would all be ok at the end of the day. But as of this moment, he was no longer free. He knew too much and he owed them too much. Jungkook had become part of the family he despised for so long. He was a member and he needed to learn fast, make sure he didn't fuck it up.

  
  



	3. SIDES

Jungkook was lying on his bed, recovering from all the fluids he had lost when he puked on Seokjin's favorite rug. He would have to deal with the aftermath of that later, but right now he had to make sense of what he had heard. His mind was racing and he did not know what to do at that moment. Should he beg Seokjin for forgiveness? Should he beg Jimin for forgiveness? Should he take out his own life? It would not be the first time. He thought as he looked at his bruised wrist.

He got up from his bed and got out of the room, staring down the hallway and he could smell the faint vanilla scent mixed with smoke. Jimin was smoking. He was the only person Jungkoook knew that could smoke something as sweet and disgusting as that. He walked down the hall and found that the door to his brother's room was slightly open, the smell getting stronger. When he looked inside, Jimin was standing in his private balcony, playing with his cigarette between his fingers. 

_Fucking disgusting._

He entered the room and walked towards the balcony, startling Jimin who almost dropped the cigarette. 

"Want one? You used to steal my cigarettes all the time."

"Yeah, thanks," Jungkook said with his head dropping low. 

Jimin opened his pack of smokes and handed one over to Jungkook, lighting it as soon as the young man put it between his lips. He stared at his little brother for a while and then gave a light slap on his pale face. 

"Such an asshole," he said as he laughed and turned away from Jungkook, staring forward.

Kook knew he deserved worse than that, but still he endured. Jimin could push him over the edge of the balcony of the second floor and he would be okay with that. He deserved every single punishment his brothers gave him. He stared at Jimin and became focused. He was extremely handsome and the parted blonde hair made him even more stunning. _Damn, he was pretty._ Jungkook liked both men and women, he could recognize beauty when he saw it. His eyes darted down and he could see Jimin's thick thighs in his tight jeans and his tiny waist hidden in his white t-shirt. He took a long drag and exhaled the smoke with a sigh. 

"See something you like, Kookie?"

"You look different."

"Different in a good way?"

"Different." he said in the end. 

Jimin laughed at his brother's remark and propped his chin on his arm that was propped up on the balcony railing. He sighed deeply and turned his head towards Jungkook again. He was sad. Not his usual sadness as in I've done something wrong, it was different. It was as if his eyes were saying:  
 _You will hate me later..._

Jungkook was taken aback by his brother's expression and tried to make sense of it. Jimin could see his brother was confused and gave him a calm smile in return. He knew everything was wrong and soon it would all go to shit, but at least they had that moment. It was familiar and nostalgic, they were together again. Jimin was smoking his usual sweet cigarette and Jungkook was by his side. It took him four years to have him back, he did not want to let go anytime soon. 

"Fuck!"

"What's wrong, Kookie darling?"

"Just wanted to blurt it out, I curse when I'm stressed."

"That's a bad habit, cursing doesn't suit that pretty face of yours. Promise me you will not use bad words if they are not needed, ok?" Jimin raised his tiny pinky and hung his hand in front of Kook's face. 

Fuck, he had missed that. All those promises that once seemed meaningless, but now were so dear to him. Everything had to be a promise to Jimin, he needed that and Kook never once denied him it. He was not going to start now. He raised his hand and the fingers intertwined. 

"Kookie darling, at some point in your life you will have to choose. I just hope you remember this handsome brother of yours and make the right choice, ok?" Jimin said as he rubbed his knuckles on Jungkook's face. 

He nodded his head and agreed with a faint smile on his face. Jungkook felt as if he could be happy again, but at that exact moment he saw a faint shadow walk away from the bedroom door. When did Seokjin begin listening to other people's conversation behind the door? This was unlike him. His brother was always referred to as a gentleman, because that was what he was. No one would ever say he listened to other people through the door, this was something he could imagine Jimin doing. Something was off. 

Jungkook finished his cigarette and said good night to Jimin, walking out of the room in a hurry. He looked up and down the hallway and could not see anyone there, suspicious. Kook then proceeded to walk down the stairs while looking around, no one was in the living room. He walked even faster and soon reached the door for Seokjin's office, he knocked lightly. 

"Come in," a deep voice said. 

Seokjin had his checkered pajamas on and was sitting at his desk, staring at his computer. The sight was rather funny and Jungkook opened a small smile. Seokjin took off his glasses and stared back at the youngster with an arched eyebrow. Jungkook started to step closer and Jin shifted his focus to the boy's feet, as if to warn him not to come closer. He stopped as soon as he realized his brother wanted to maintain his distance and just sighed lightly. 

"Do you need anything or are you lost?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Talk."

"I am sorry for what I said earlier, I truly am. I was...am naive."

"You are many things Jungkook, but you are neither naive nor stupid. I did not raise you like that."

"How did you raise me?"Jungkook asked in a small voice. 

Seokjin would always berate his baby brother by telling him he was not raised that way, but he was always curious as to what Jin had in mind while he was raising Jungkook. It was the utmost truth that he had been brought up by his older brother, not anyone else. He owed Jin all that he knew. 

"I raised you to be smart and understand that we follow a moral compass. We do not mix ourselves with other people's dirty business and we respect hierarchy. But most importantly, we respect each other. That is what I thought about while I was raising you."

"Did I meet your expectations?"

"In many aspects yes, in others not so much. But you are still young," Jin said with a faint smile. 

This was a compliment, the highest Jin could give. His brother was not a man that gave out compliments lightly, people would spend a lifetime trying to please Kim Seokjin and could not receive a single word if he did not feel like the person deserved it. He was very hard to please and he did not bend to other people's will, so when he said those things, he meant all of them. 

Jungkook could feel the tears form in the corners of his eyes, but he smiled at his brother. He knew Jin was a hard person and at most times he did not understand his intentions, but at this exact moment he was happy. He did not disappoint Seokjinie. 

"Will you teach me?"

"No, but you will learn. Trust me," Jin said, staring back at his computer. 

He knew his brother was not actually working, Seokjin was most likely playing some stupid game on his computer and Jungkook smiled again. The oldest looked at him again and then looked at the door behind him, this meant that it was time for Jungkook to leave. He bowed to Seokjin and left the office, closing the door behind him. 

Back in his room, Jungkook was lying in bed again, staring at the ceiling. He had stolen another one of Jimin's disgusting cigarettes and was now smoking it as he lied down. There was more ash on his bed than on the actual ashtray, but he didn't care. Too much had happened in one day and he still felt dizzy. Apparently, his own brother had killed his father, the same one who had threatened to kill his brother's mother. Indeed Old Kim deserved even worse than that. 

For a while, Jungkook imagined how Seokjin did it. His father's death was declared as a heart attack, but did he use something to make that happen? Did he bribe someone to rule it as a heart attack, when he was actually murdered? Many questions popped up in his head. At this moment, his phone buzzed in the pocket of his sweatpants. He took out the small phone and could see that he had received a text from his brother. 

_Seokjinie: I need you to wake up early tomorrow, we will have an important guest visiting. Dress nicely._

_JK: Ok, hyung_

_Seokjinie: Go to bed, I don't want you looking like a zombie tomorrow. Now._

_JK: ZZZzzzZZZ_

Jungkook tried to be funny and he wanted to imagine that Jin had laughed at his text, but he knew his brother most likely ignored the message or rolled his eyes. Still he laughed at the text he sent. _Such a stupid kid._ But still he obeyed. He cleaned his bed and put the ashtray back on his desk. Kook jumped back on the bed and covered himself with the fluffy quilt. He liked fluffy stuff. 

\--

The alarm went off and Jungkook rolled in his bed a bit before he turned to grab the phone that was playing his favorite song at the moment. He sat up on his bed and looked at the phone checking the time. Fuck, it was early. But he had obeyed his big brother and woke up as early as possible, the birds chirping outside of his window. 

He dragged himself to his bathroom, removing his t-shirt and staring at his muscular back in the mirror. The enormous black lilly covering most of his back, it's stem going down on the side of his thigh down to the back of his knee. He laughed at the sight and took off the rest of his clothes, getting into the shower. The only place Jungkook would sing was in the shower, even though most people told him he had the voice of an angel. He was just not confident enough to try to sing in a place where other people could hear.

He closed the tap and tightened the towel around his waist, leaving his torso exposed. Jungkook opened the door of his bathroom and as he was walking towards his bed, Jimin went inside his room unannounced. They exchanged looks and Jungkook realized he had his back to the door, so Jimin could clearly see his tattoo. 

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ON YOUR BACK, JEON JUNGKOOK?" he screamed at the top of his lungs. 

Jungkook was in trouble, he had the tattoo made after Jimin left and he had kept it hidden from Seokjin. His brother did not approve of tattoos at all. Jin always said that tattoos were worthy of criminals and ignorant people, warning Jungkook that he was neither. At this moment, everything had gone to shit as Jimin had seen his ginormous tattoo. 

He ran to his brother and put his hand over his mouth, stopping him from making another sound. Jimin had his eyes wide and tried to murmur something that Kook could not understand, he was definitely in trouble. 

"I will let go of your mouth, but you cannot scream another word ok?" he said in a soft voice. 

Jimin nodded and confirmed he would not scream again. Jungkook sighed and took his hand off of his brother's mouth, but still kept it close. Jimin was shocked and could not produce a single sound. Just like Jungkook, Jimin knew about Seokjin's deep hatred of tattoos, but unlike his younger brother, he knew exactly why. If Jin were to find out, Jimin was certain he would no longer have a younger brother after that. 

"Are you fucking insane? Do you have a death wish? Don't you know Seokjin hates tattoos? Turn around!" He said as he grabbed Jungkook and made him turn, so that he could see the tattoo up close. 

Jimin raised his finger and traced the outline of the tattoo with his index. Jungkook shivered slightly at the touch, but in the end he grew used to his brother's touch. Jimin was as curious as a cat and now that he had seen the tattoo he would investigate every single inch of that drawing until he was satisfied. Jungkook still had not said a word, he just let Jimin touch him. 

"Don't you hate lilies?"

"I do."

"How far down does this go?"

"Until the back of my knee."

"Did it hurt?"

"A lot," Jungkook said as he shivered, remembering the pain. 

His brother still had his fingers trailing up and down his spine, but Kook had become annoyed with the movement. He turned to face Jimin and looked his brother in the eye, making sure he was not supposed to mention what he had seen. Sometimes, many words could be conveyed in just one look. Jimin nodded and turned to leave the room, but before he did he looked back on the youngest and looked him up and down while he bit his lower lip. A disgusting smile appeared on his face and Jungkook growled at the sight. _Fucking disgusting._ The door finally closed. 

Jimin was too much sometimes, but he was harmless. He liked to have fun at other people's expense and Jungkook had grown used to it. Kook remembered the day his brother gave him his first taste of soju, it was his 16th birthday and his brother had bought a special edition of a rare soju just for the occasion.

They both drank more than they could handle and at that moment, Jimin confessed to his darkest secret. Jimin liked men. Jungkook never judged his brother for what he was, since he also liked to have fun with the same gender, but he knew that if Seokjin or his father were to find out, he would probably end up dead in some ditch outside of Busan. So this became their ultimate secret. 

Years later, they both found out Seokjin already knew about that during a heated conversation they had. Jimin and his older brother were fighting for some stupid reason as always and Jungkook was trying to make them stop, in vain. Kook did not remember what exactly Jin said to Jimin, but at that moment he threw his fist in the direction of Seokjin's face, missing by an inch. The punch landed on Jungkook's face and while Jimin was busy apologizing to his younger brother, Seokjin made the most awkward comment a person could make at that moment. 

"I do not like being hit by another man, unlike you," Jin said in a deep voice. 

Jimin and Jungkook looked at each other and the only thing they could do was laugh. What the fuck was that? Seokjin had just told them that he knew Jimin had weird fetishes when it came to sex, but did he have to say it like that? Seokjin left the room while they both laughed hard at that stupid sentence. 

The memory brought a small grin to his face as he continued to stare at the door for a few more seconds. He walked to his closet and picked a few clothes that he considered acceptable for a meeting with a visitor and Seokjin. All of the outfits he had picked were given to him by Seokjin, no chance of a mistake. 

Jungkook picked a pair of black pants, a shirt and a black jacket. He looked the part. If anyone was in his room at this moment, they would be able to see the sweet smile he had on his lips. He was proud of himself and he knew Seokjin would not be disappointed, that was the most important thing. He heard a faint conversation coming from outside of his door and he deduced that the guest had arrived. Jungkook styled his hair a bit more and quickly went downstairs. 

As soon as he reached the last step of the stairs, he saw the visitor Seokjin had mentioned. _God he is handsome._ The guest had a honey skin that looked extremely appealing in the grey suit he was wearing. He was tall and slim, maybe a bit muscular too. The suit was not letting Jungkook get the whole picture, but he already liked what he saw. 

"Jungkook, please come," Seokjin called him with a sweet voice. 

His brother was a very good actor. He could change his tone and facial expressions to make him look more appealing to people he was trying to impress. This was certainly someone important, otherwise Seokjin would not bother to make the effort. His tone was calm and his face looked almost as if he was happy. He looked at his younger brother and Jungkook could catch the faint smile that appeared on his lips. Jin had approved of the outfit. 

"Jungkook, this is Kim Namjoon," Jin said as he pushed Jungkook forward to greet the guest. 

_Even his name is hot._

Jungkook shook his head to make those dirty thoughts leave and extended his hand to the other man. He had a strong grip and his face was intense. The young man almost faltered but was able to maintain the grip. His effort made the other man smile slightly and he too seemed to approve of him. 

"Jungkook-ssi, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. You brother has told me a lot about you. All good things, I swear."

"I'm sure he did, sir. The pleasure is all mine."

"No, no," Namjoon clicked his tongue. "No reason to call me sir. We are family, you can call me _hyung_ ," he said with a smile that made his eyes disappear. It could be called cute, but for someone like Jungkook, it just seemed fake. 

As soon as Namjoon said the word _family_ , Kook understood who he was and what he was doing there. This was probably some big shot from the Seoul family and Seokjin was initiating Jungkook. Everything was going fast and now he was becoming someone from the family. He was excited, but he did not know if he liked that feeling or not. 

"Well, well," Namjoon took a sip of the tea. "Let's talk business, shall we?" 

"Jungkook will accompany you back to Seoul to help with anything you might need."

"He looks strong, he will be of great help." Namjoon took another sip of his tea, focusing on Jungkook. 

Weirdly enough, Jungkook got excited at the thought of living in Seoul for a while. He was going to miss Busan and his brothers, but this would make Seokjin proud of him. Now that he was indeed a member of the family, he should help his brothers and make sure that he did not disappoint either of them. 

The older men continued to talk for a while, but Jungkook did not pay much attention to that conversation. He was thinking about what he would do once he was in Seoul. He had been to that city many times in the past with his brothers, but he was never alone. The thought suddenly dawned on him and anxiety washed up on him. Jungkook had never been alone anywhere. He had never been left unaccompanied, he was either with one of the bodyguards Jin had assigned him, his driver, their servants or his brothers. 

_Alone?_

That thought brought a smile to Jungkook's face, but he was suddenly caught by his older brother. The smile vanished and he turned to pay attention to the conversation the two men were having. He was the subject.

"Jungkook-ssi is young and inexperienced, but he looks like he learns fast. He is definitely a good acquisition for the family. _Aigoo,_ the Busan Kim family is so lucky sometimes."

"Indeed he is and indeed he does. Jungkook is a good kid."

"Good, good. I will show him the way, Seokjin-ssi."

Jin acknowledged the information by bowing slightly to the other man. Namjoon actually looked younger than Jin, but his brother was extremely respectful of this person. Could this actually be the head of the Seoul family? _He is so young._ But then again, Jin was young too and he was the head of the Busan family and extremely respected too. Or feared. 

The two men stood up and headed inside Jin's office, he signaled with his head that Jungkook was not to follow them. His part had ended and he did a good job, he made Seokjinie proud. Jung-hwan came out of his brother's office and stared at Jungkook for a while. He was an imposing man but he had sweet eyes. 

"Don't worry kid, I am taking you to Seoul. Once you're there, someone will stay by your side. You won't be alone."

"Oh, thank you Jung-hwan _hyung_."

"It's okay, just behave," he said in his usual stiff tone. 

Jungkook bowed to his brother's assistant and went upstairs back to his room. As he walked down the hallway, he passed by Jimin's room, the faint smell of vanilla was in the air. _So fucking sweet._ His brother was probably awake, so he knocked on the door a couple of times. The door unlocked and Jimin was staring at Jungkook, shirtless. 

"Yes?"

"Do you want to have breakfast? I haven't eaten yet."

"Ok, Kookie. Wait for me downstairs," Jimin said with a faint smile. 

Jungkook nodded, but he was taken aback by what he had seen. Jimin's body was covered in scars, they all seemed old but some of those were still red. Did Seokjin do that to Jimin? Or was it his father? The door closed again and Jungkook made his way down to the dining table. The staff had set a full breakfast for them and Jungkook set up two plates for him. 

A few minutes later, Jimin joined him. His brother stared at him for a while and Jungkook began to feel uncomfortable. Jimin had the type of eyes that could be extremely soft in a moment and uncomfortably intense in the other. He did not know why he was being stared at like that, but Jungkook felt afraid.

"Are you going to eat all that?"

"Uh...yes?"

"Do you eat like that everyday?"

"Yes."

"Disgusting," Jimin said with a sigh. 

Jungkook stared at his brother with food falling down on his plate, his mouth was agape. Jimin did not pay him any attention, but you could see that he was displeased with the youngest. Jimin and food was always a topic at the house, but no one dared to touch it in front of him. From an early age, Jimin had caught up to his older brother and knew how to make people afraid with those intense eyes of his. No one dared to stand in his way and he liked it like that. When he knew he was no match to other people's intensity, he would use his looks. That never failed him. _Disgustingly pretty._

They both ate in silence and at some point Seokjin and Namjoon came out of the office. They could not see them directly, but one could hear the conversation. Jin had his soft voice and the other man was laughing. _Weird._ Their voice became fainter and Jungkook knew they were heading for the door. He got up, pushing his chair back and almost knocking it down. He startled Jimin, who groaned at him. He did not pay any attention to his brother and walked fast to the door. 

"It was a pleasure to meet you, _hyung_."

"Politeness, I like that, Jungkook-ssi."

"Always."

"It is always refreshing to come down to Busan. Thank you for your hospitality Seokjin-ssi. I am excited to have your baby brother in Seoul with me. Goodbye," Namjoon said as he walked towards his car. 

Seokjin had his serious face again and Jungkook knew his brother was organizing his thoughts. His eyes dropped from his brother and focused on the man accompanying Namjoon. He was intense. He did not look Korean, but he was handsome nonetheless. He had broad shoulders and a caramel color in his hair. _Pretty._

"Jungkook."

"Yes, _hyung_?"

"You will be leaving for Seoul in a week. Make sure you pack all of the right items. It is a cold city."

"Yes, sir."

"Jung-hwan will accompany you there and once you are in Seoul, I have assigned someone to take care of you."

"Thank you, hyung."

"Tomorrow you will accompany Jimin on a business trip to Daegu. Do not disappoint me," Jin said as he walked back inside the house. 

Jungkook was definitely excited, everything was happening so fast and he did not know how to respond. He was already going on a business trip and later he would go live in Seoul to help the main family. He did feel happy, but was it what he wanted for himself? Was it what he had imagined for his life? It did not matter anymore. This was his life now. _Grow up, Jungkook._

He sat back at the table and Jimin was still eating his fruits while he looked at his phone with a small smile. He looked up to Jungkook and the smile faded. He did not forget all those scars on Jimin's body and the thought of them made him sad. Like Jungkook, his brother never asked to be born into this family. As he said once, a name on a piece of paper meant nothing. It really did not, but this was not true for the Kim family. A stupid name meant a lot. Meant that you were bound to obey. 

"What is wrong, Kookie?"

"Oh...nothing...nothing at all."

"Doesn't feel like it." Jimin arched his brows. 

Jungkook had to lie, he could not bluntly tell his brother that he was worried about those scars. Jimin was close to Jungkook, but there were still limits that could not be crossed. Jimin's person al life was out of bounds and Kook knew that. He would never cross that line, not because he was afraid of what Jimin would do, but because he was afraid of the answer. He did not want to hear that his older brother hurt Jimin, that Seokjin was a psychopath like that. He indeed was, but he still had limits. 

The chair at the head of the table was pulled back and a man sat down. Seokjin. It had been years since Jungkook had gotten the chance to eat breakfast with his brother, so he was startled to see Jin sitting at the same table as him. 

Seokjin clicked his tongue. "First of all," he grabbed a bowl of rice and set it in front of him. "Tomorrow, Jungkook will go to Daegu with you, Jimin. Second, tonight both of you will meet me at the restaurant at 8pm. Look presentable."

He did not need to say anything else, they both would comply with whatever he told them to do. That was how it had always worked. Both brothers nodded compliantly and went back to their meal, not a single sound was made the whole time they sat there.

Seokjin was the first to get up and left the house with Jung-hwan _hyung_. He had business to attend to in the city. Jimin stuck around for a while longer and even talked with Jungkook. The subjects were quite simple but it was still a conversation. Jungkook liked that, he had missed Jimin a lot. More than he cared to admit. 

"Get up kid, we are going shopping. I'm buying."

"Shopping?"

"You cannot go to Seoul with those pathetic video game t-shirts that you have. Seokjin would never forgive you if you stained the family name by wearing something inappropriate, would he?"

"Let's go," Jungkook said as he pushed back the chair and ran upstairs. 

This whole scene made Jimin laugh out loud, the chair wobbling in place. Before Jungkook disappeared upstairs, he told him he would wait for the youngest in the living room. As soon as Jungkook reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard Jimin on the phone. He was laughing loudly and seemed extremely happy to be talking to that person. The look on his face was...No way. Was it? Jimin looked in love. 

Jungkook was so taken aback by this that he did not even see the small piece of furniture in front of him. He hit his foot on the corner of the small table and was now screaming in pain. He probably broke his toe. Yes, it was definitely broken or maybe he was being over dramatic. When Kook looked up, Jimin was standing in front of him. He got startled again and almost fell backwards, Jimin held him in place. 

"Let's go baby boy, you drive," he said with a grin. 

Jimin had invited him, but he was the one driving. _Fucking annoying._ They went down to the garage and Jungkook unlocked his AMG GT 63 S Mercedes Benz. Jimin stared at him for a second and looked down at the car, he was unimpressed and Jungkook felt a tiny bit of annoyance. His brother truly was a _judgmental bitch_ and he had learned to ignore it, but he had not dealt with that attitude for almost 4 years, so now it had become extremely annoying again. 

They both got into the car and before Jungkook could even turn it on, Jimin had already connected his phone to the media system and now the car was blasting some american song. Wait, was this Shawn Mendes? Jungkook looked at his brother who was focused on his phone, ignoring the youngest and his sour face. _Fucking annoying._

After hearing the whole of Shawn Mendes's discography, they arrived at a big fancy store. Kook parked the car easily and they crossed the street to enter the store. As soon as they set foot inside a tiny woman came to greet them. 

"Mr. Jeon, Mr. Park." she bowed to them. 

They both bowed back and the woman led them to a private room with endless racks of suits and all sorts of clothes. Jungkook walked up to a rack that had sweaters and coats and started looking closely at each of those pieces. Jimin was busy talking to the tiny woman, so Jungkook did not pay them any attention. He liked the hoodies and sweaters that were hanging from the rack, he wanted to buy them. When he turned back to his brother, Jimin had a disapproving look on his face that conveyed everything he needed to know. No hoodies. 

A few minutes later, the shop assistant was back with endless piles of clothes and Jungkook was going to have to try them all on. He sighed and went behind the curtains into his private dressing room with a few clothes for him to try on. They were all very fancy and all looked like clothes from luxury brands, then again Jimin had picked them and he was very much into luxury brands. This was going to be a long afternoon. 

"How do they look, Kookie?"

"Oh nice, I liked a few."

"Pick whatever you like, _hyung_ is paying," Jimin said while he smiled. 

Jungkook knew his brother was smiling and he couldn't control the urge to open the curtains and stare at that smile. As soon as he snuck his head outside, he could see Jimin smiling. However, his smile was not directed at Kook, he was staring down at his phone and smiling brightly. He had the same expression as before, love. Kook could not hold back and he had to find a way to understand what his brother was feeling. 

" _Hyung_?"

"Yes?"

"Are you seeing someone?"

"I..." Jimin choked on his words. "Am."

He did not know what to say anymore. His brother was actually seeing someone. He knew that it was hard for Jimin to truly be himself, especially in this line of work. Hearing that he had someone made Jungkook's heart warm up and he could feel the smile forming on his face. Seeing Jimin happy was enough for him. Both his brothers meant the world to him so their happiness mattered a lot. Still, Kook was worried. Seokjin knew about Jimin, but what about the other members of the family? Would they accept him just because he was the boss' brother? This line of thought was too sad and intense for that moment, Jungkook shook his head and came back to reality. 

"Can I meet him?"

"You will eventually, sooner than you think. Now, let me see those clothes on you," Jimin said with a big smile while he crossed his legs and propped his chin on the arm that was propped up on his knee. 

Their shopping spree lasted for a few hours, but it was finally over. Jungkook was tired and holding all the bags of clothes that Jimin had bought him. His brother could not be bothered to do anything apart from striding down the street to buy them coffee. Jungkook threw the bags in the trunk and walked around the car to grab his coffee from Jimin's hand. 

The iced americano slid down his throat like it was air, so good. He sighed and leaned against his car, Jimin handed him a cigarette. They smoked and drank their coffee silently. When they were done, they both got into the car and started to drive back to the house. 

Shawn Mendes was on again and Jungkook growled at the sound that now invaded his ears. Jimin was pleased with himself. They still did not speak a word until they reached the garage and Jimin helped Jungkook to take out all the bags from the trunk. 

"Kookie darling, I hope you know that you cannot mention what you learned today to Seokjin."

"I know, _hyung_."

"Good, such a good boy." Jimin patted his brother on the head like he was a dog. 

_Fucking annoying._

\--

Jungkook was waiting for Jimin to come down the stairs so that they could meet Seokjin at the restaurant. He was a bit worried they might be late. Seokjin did not _do_ late. He could feel the sweat starting to form on his forehead. Jimin was finally ready and strode down the room like he was a princess in a fairytale. _Such a diva._ As quickly as possible, they got into the car that was waiting for them at the entrance and headed for the restaurant. 

Seokjin was sitting in one of the private rooms, drinking a glass of red wine. His younger brothers entered the room and were now sitting next to him at the big black table. Their glasses were filled with the red liquid and they were all silently drinking. It had been a long time since the brothers had gotten together to eat and drink at a restaurant, but something told Jungkook that this would not be an ordinary night. 

"I called you both here for a reason. Neither of you has a say and you will obey me, no matter what. Understood?" Jin said in a dry tone as he set his glass back on the table. 

Both Jungkook and Jimin nodded, confirming they had understood. As soon as they did, Seokjin let out a sigh and looked back and forth between the both of them. Jimin and Jungkook seemed to understand that something was off and they became apprehensive. 

"I must travel to Japan to take care of some unfinished business our father left behind, so I will be gone for a few months." He took another sip of his wine. "Jungkook you will do as told and help Kim Namjoon in Seoul. Do not disappoint me. Jimin, you will have to manage the family. Do not betray me or I will kill you."

"Our Seokjinie is always so dramatic. You know I am a better shooter than you," Jimin said sarcastically. 

Jungkook was extremely confused by that conversation, he did not think Jin could actually kill his brother, but what did Jimin mean by being a better shooter than Seokjin? Did Jimin actually use guns? He stared back at his older brother and nodded at him. They did not speak much during dinner, but now the three of them were smoking together in the room. 

The vanilla stench overpowering every single other smell in the room and you could see that Seokjin was bothered by it. Jungkook did not want his brothers to fight over something so small like that, so he just tried to imagine a topic that was good enough to grab their attention. When he looked back at Jin, he could see the murderous intent in his eyes and his hand laid on his hip. Was he going to shoot Jimin?

  
  



	4. SCARS

"I HAVE A TATTOO!" He blurted out the sentence, before he could even realize he did and now both his brothers stared at him with wide eyes. 

Jimin got up as fast as lightning and stood up in front of Jungkook, protecting him. What was going on? Why would Jimin need to protect Jungkook? Seokjin was still wide eyed when Kook looked back at him and his face was red. This was rage. He had never seen Seokjin like that and he was scared. 

"Seokjin, please don't do it. I beg of you,"Jimin said in a serious voice. 

He really tried to protect Jungkook, he was even begging Seokjin. Jimin would never beg for anything, mostly because people would just give him whatever he wanted but also because he despised begging. He would tell Jungkook that begging was something weak people did and that was something Kook was not. By the time Jungkook was back from his memories, Seokjin had gotten up and was now staring at Jimin, mere inches from his face. 

He pushed the blonde man aside and Jimin fell to the ground with a thud, his head hitting the wall hard. Jin pulled Jungkook by his collar and made him stand up to look at him. He was scared out of his mind, but he could not let it show. He stared at Jin with a serious face and his hands hung beside him. 

"Repeat what you just said."

"I have a tattoo on my back." Jungkook was breathless. 

"One more time."

"Seokjin _hyung_ , I have a tattoo on my back," he said, closing his eyes. 

The slap made his face hurt and his eyes open again. Jin had slapped Jungkook so hard that he was now on the floor just like Jimin, who had not stood up ever since he was thrown down by Seokjin. Jungkook was hurt and the skin on his face was throbbing, still he thought that he had done the right thing. _Better late than never._

Jin went back to his seat and sat down calmly before taking another sip of his wine. He looked at Jungkook and he had him pinned down. Jungkook did not dare to move. Jimin slowly rose and sat back on his original seat, rubbing his head where it had hit the wall. He did not say anything nor did he dare to. He too was scared of Seokjin right now and Kook could see it. What was the deal with tattoos?

"Jungkook, I have been waiting for you to tell me about this tattoo for years."

"You have?" Jimin said in surprise.

"Yes, I knew he had that lilly tattooed years ago. I know everything about both of you. Everything, Jimin."

Jimin swallowed hard but refused to let Jin see that he was afraid of him, he maintained his serious face from before and now stared back at Jungkook, still on the ground. He extended his hand to the young man and helped him get up. Meanwhile Seokjin was lighting another cigarette as he sighed. 

"I am not our father nor wish to be. I will discipline you, but I do not wish to kill you."

"Why do you hate tattoos?" Jungkook asked in a low voice. 

Jimin gave him a warning look for him to not probe anymore, this was not a safe topic and they all knew it. He then turned to Seokjin, who sighed as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. He seemed tired and defeated. This was a rare event. Seokjin would never show his weak side to anyone, that was unlike him. 

He then stood up, took off his jacket and proceeded to unbutton his shirt. Jimin buried his face in his hands and did not dare to look up. It was as if he was preventing himself from seeing a terrible scene. A scene straight out of a horror movie. That is what greeted Jungkook's eyes. 

Seokjin was shirtless but his torso was covered in words. They were everywhere and covered all of his white skin. Jungkook leaned forward to see it closer, gaping. He was unable to close his mouth again for a long time. They were all hateful words. 

_Disgraceful. Weak. Useless. Unworthy. Pathetic._

Father had done this to him, to humiliate him. Jungkook was petrified and Seokjin had had enough exposure for one day. He put his shirt back on and quickly sat back down. Jimin slowly raised his head from his palms and helped Jungkook close his mouth. Seokjin was back to smoking his cigarette and drinking his wine, not sparing his brothers a look. 

"Jimin also has them, a different version," he said calmly. 

_The scars._

Jimin opened his pack of smokes and took out another one. He looked at Seokjin for a long time and Jungkook could see that they were silently communicating. The silence was deafening and he had no words at the moment. Kook was too shocked to say anything. 

"I'm not taking off my shirt, if that's what you are implying," Jimin said as he took a long drag.

This was when the night ended. The three of them did not exchange another word after that. They drank the wine and smoked their cigarettes. Eventually, they all headed home. Jungkook was slightly drunk and Jimin had passed out from the alcohol. He could not blame him. The night had been eventful. They arrived safely back at the house and Jungkook carried Jimin upstairs to put him in bed. His brother was extremely light but he was a mess. 

He would cling onto Jungkook's neck and not let him get up from the bed. It was getting annoying. 

"Daddy, don't go!" Jimin said in a faint voice with a smile on his lips. 

_OH, HELL NO!_

Jungkook grabbed his brother's hands and yanked them off himself, throwing Jimin on the bed and running out of the room. When he closed the door, he leaned against the cold wood and stared down at the living room. This night had been too intense and he wanted to rest. As soon as he began to walk back to his room, he heard a deep sigh and a muffled scream coming out of Seokjin's room. 

He was curious, so he decided to walk down the hallway until he reached the slightly opened door. He couldn't see Seokjin and could only hear what was going on inside the room. He heard his brother sit on his bed and sigh again, Seokjin was tired. At times like these, Jungkook felt sad for his brother. He was young but had endured so much in his life it was unfair. 

"Jungkook, if you want to come in, then do. Don't listen behind the door, that's rude." Seokjin said with his deep voice. 

He was startled by the comment, but he decided that it was safer to get inside the bedroom. Seokjin's room was extremely elegant, like him. Everything was either colored in a deep blue or an emerald green. Everything else was made out of a dark wooden material. It was extremely beautiful and it made Jungkook a bit jealous. His room was a dump. 

"What do you want, Jungkook?"

"Are you ok?" Jungkook was scared. 

"No."

"Do you want to talk?"

"No." Seokjin's tone was as dry as it could be.

"Do you want to see my tattoo?"

Seokjin arched one eyebrow and stared at Jungkook with a confused look. He knew his brother had probably seen the tattoo, but never on his skin. He silently nodded and Jungkook turned around while he unbuttoned his shirt. He took the fabric off his back and the tattoo was exposed. Just like Jimin, Jin traced the outline with his index making Jungkook shiver with the touch. 

"Do you hate her that much?"

"Yes." Jungkook did not even have to think twice.

"You don't want to ever forget?"

"No."

"You should, you are too young to keep grudges like that. Don't end up like me or Jimin. Hating things of the past, never letting go," Jin said as he sat back down on the edge of his bed. 

Kim Seokjin was drunk and Jungkook knew that, but so was he. This was that moment when they would talk, no matter what. Jungkook had to use these tiny moments in his favor, otherwise he would never learn the truth about his brothers or his life. 

"Do you love me, hyung?"

"Very much so." Seokjin's tone seemed the most honest it had ever been. 

"Do you miss father?"

"Yes." Seokjin sighed. 

"Are we safe?"

"We are never safe Kook, in this line of work there isn't safety." Seokjin sighed once more. 

"Have you killed many people?" He was scared of the answer. 

"Yes, but Jae-hwan hyung normally does the killing for me. That's his job." Jin seemed unbothered. 

"Will I have to kill people?"

"Probably. What's with the pop quiz?" Jin was now annoyed. 

"I realized I do not know anything about you and I'm feeling guilty."

Jungkook had pain in his eyes and Seokjin could see it. He wanted him to see it. They never talked much and Jin was not a person that liked to talk about his life. He had had rough years and it pained him to talk about those things, still Jungkook felt as if he deserved to know. They were brothers, even though they did not share the same blood. Jin owed him this much. Finally, Jungkook could see that his brother had let go of his tough guy mask, letting the young one see the real him. 

"You can ask me anything, I will answer."

"Really?" Kook was amused. 

"Yes, but don't make me regret my decision."

"Are you seeing someone?" He immediately regretted asking when Seokjin's face changed.

"I have regretted my decision."

"NO!" Jungkook shouted with a smile in his eyes. 

They didn't even realize when the sun came up and the night ended. Seokjin spent the whole night answering Jungkook's questions and he actually seemed to be having fun telling him his old stories. Some topics were never easy to talk about, like his mother, but others were just funny, like the first time he held a gun and almost shot himself in the foot. 

At some point Jungkook yawned and passed out from exhaustion, so Jin advised him to sleep for a couple of hours before he had to go to Daegu with Jimin. 

Jungkook woke up with Jimin screaming his name in the loudest voice possible. His head was exploding from all the alcohol he had drunk the night before. Still he remembered all of his conversation with Seokjinie. It made him smile. He was lying on the ground and he had no idea when he had gotten that fluffy blanket, but it was warm and cozy. Kook slowly got up and exited the room to find Jimin fully dressed and looking for him. 

"For fuck's sake, what were you doing in there?"

"I slept here."

"YOU SLEPT IN SEOKJIN'S ROOM?" His tone was almost like a shrieking. 

"Yup."

"Did he die?" Jimin asked in a low voice looking to the side, trying to take a peek inside the room.

Jungkook laughed at the question but he knew Jimin was right to ask it, no one ever got inside his room because Seokjin hated people in there with him. It was the only place that was off limits in the house and no one questioned him about it. 

\--

"Please, no more Shawn Mendes."

"I like him and I'm sitting in charge of music." He was gloating. 

"Why do you like him?"

"He's cute," Jimin answered with a wide smile. 

They were on their way to Daegu and Jungkook and Jung-hwan were already fed up with Jimin's songs. Jungkook stretched forward and turned off the audio system for good. Silence was better than to hear Jimin humming to every _fucking_ song. The trip continued in silence and both the driver and Jungkook were more than happy. Jungkook would often take pictures and record little films on his phone. Jimin watched him while he did it and sometimes, he even became his model. 

He quickly edited the video on his phone and showed the final product to Jimin. His brother was startled and looked back to Jungkook, baffled by his younger brother's ability. Jungkook could see that Jimin liked his work and that made him feel proud of himself. He always liked when people praised him when he did something good and this was one of those moments. 

They arrived in Daegu in a couple of hours and headed for their hotel to freshen up before meeting the head of the Daegu Family, Min Yoongi. Jungkook knew nothing about him, but Jimin was there and he certainly knew this man. His brother was from Daegu and he had spent most of his life here. He was very much needed at the moment.

As soon as Jungkook entered the suite, his face changed. In the middle of the living room there was a small table with a bouquet of flowers that were there to greet him. Everything would be okay if it wasn't for a tiniest detail, there were lilies in that bouquet. He hated that flower more than anything else and every time he saw it, he would get insanely mad. 

He walked forward and grabbed the small vase containing the bouquet, he threw the vase against the wall, smashing it into a million tiny pieces and making a mess out of the flowers. They were lying on the ground, dirty and destroyed. That's how he liked that _stupid_ flower. Dead. After a few seconds staring at the mess he had done, Jungkook could hear knocking on his door. 

"Jungkook-ssi, what happened? Are you alright?" the voice asked. 

He walked towards the door, unlocking it. Jimin and Jung-hwan were staring at him from the hallway, his brother shifted his eyes from him to the mess behind him and he immediately understood. 

"Leave," Jimin said to Jung-hwan. 

The man bowed and walked away, while Jimin entered the room. He walked towards the mess on the floor and began to pick up the broken glass. He looked up to Jungkook and he could see the young man was annoyed. Jungkook did not want to stay in the same room as those flowers anymore, so he disappeared into the bathroom. A few seconds later, he came back holding a trash can and set it beside Jimin, not sparing him a look. He then went back to the bathroom and closed the door again. 

When Jungkook finally emerged back from his shower, the floor was clean and Jimin was nowhere to be seen. He would thank him later. He threw himself on the bed and was now staring at the ceiling, trying to think about something else. How could flowers do that to him? He shook his head twice, trying to scatter those thoughts and come back to reality. He grabbed his phone that had been lying on the bed and unlocked the screen. Seokjin had sent him a message. 

_Seokjinie: Keep an eye out for Jimin. Inform me of anything that happens. Stay out of trouble._

_JK: Ok, hyung. I promise._

_Seokjinie: Min Yoongi is a sadistic bastard with a psychotic serial killer by his side. Be careful. Only speak when spoken to and don't give them any reason to do anything to you._

_JK: Ahm...ok._

Sadistic bastard? Psychotic serial killer? Who were those people? Jungkook swallowed hard and he could feel his stomach toss and turn, he had become nauseous. Nothing about his new life seemed easy and he knew it was going to get even tougher. If it was easy, Jimin and Seokjin would not be as tough as they were. Would not be as sad. His phone buzzed again and he looked at it again. Jimin had sent him a couple of messages. 

_Jiminie: Are you ready? We are leaving in 10 minutes!_

_Jiminie: Sorry about the flowers…_

_JK: Almost done._

_JK: It's ok. Thank you._

_Jiminie: Keep Seokjin updated. That control freak would want you to._

_JK: Ok, hyung._

Jungkook left his room and headed down for the lobby. Jimin was sitting down with his traditional pose, legs crossed and staring at his phone. He looked extremely handsome in that all black outfit. He had black slacks, a black turtleneck and black boots. A leather jacket was resting on his lap and he had his black squared sunglasses on. _What a pretty sight._ Jungkook had to admit he admired his brother a bit more than he should, but still he wasn't the only one. Everytime someone caught sight of Jimin sitting there, the person would immediately focus on him. Even drool a bit. 

When his older brother saw him approaching, he immediately stood up and walked towards the youngest. Jungkook was not bad himself. He had almost the same outfit as his brother but he was wearing a caramel jacket that made the outfit a little bit more colorful. Jimin had bought him that whole outfit. 

They walked towards the car and in no time, they were heading to their meeting with Min Yoongi. They were supposed to meet him in his bar, the hottest place in town, _Nalkaroun Kal_. Jungkook hated the name, but still he swallowed it hard and put on a fake smile. Jimin was staring at him with an odd face but did not say anything. 

They arrived at the building where the bar was at and Jung-hwan stayed in the car, while the brothers made their way into the bar. It was still daytime, so the bar was closed for ordinary patrons. They were not that. An old man was sitting behind the bar and looked at both of them with an angry face. 

"Water or wine?"

"A knife," Jimin answered with a smile on his face.

The old man nodded and proceeded to take them through a small door on the side of the bar. Jungkook was thoroughly confused. Why did Jimin answer that to that simple question and where were they going? He followed behind and eventually they stopped in front of a black door. The old man bowed to both of them and left. 

"A knife?"

"To kill those who lie," Jimin smiled as he opened the door. 

When the door opened, Jungkook could see a man sitting at the head of the table. He did not look happy, in fact his face was blank. It was as if he did not have a soul, the air suddenly got chilly. That was the effect Min Yoongi had on most people, that was why he was feared. Because it was rumoured that he did not have an actual soul. 

Jimin entered the room, the smile never faltering, and bowed down to the young man sitting at the end of the room. Yoongi seemed to be just a bit older than them, maybe the same age as Jin. How could a man that young have become the head of one of the main families? He felt that this was an answer he would receive very soon. 

"Yoongi darling, what a pleasure to see you."

"Jimin."

"Always so pleasant."

"Is that the kid?"

"Yes, this is Jeon Jungkook, the youngest member of the Kim family of Busan."

"Is he a mute?" Yoongi spoke in a sarcastic tone. 

Jungkook hadn't spoken anything since the door opened and now he was being humiliated by a man he had never seen before. Jungkook could already see he was a complete asshole, but he would not give him what he wanted. He did not like when people thought less of him just because he was not his brothers. He was just as good as both of them and wanted to prove himself. 

"Pleased to meet you, sir."

"It speaks, I am amazed," Yoongi said with a malicious smile. 

Yoongi was certainly a person that one would not dare to play with. Scary indeed . He seemed to be sitting on his throne in a dark and haunted castle. Jungkook shivered slightly but did not let his brother or the other man notice. Yoongi raised his hand and gestured for them to sit down at the table with him. Jimin pulled a chair on a side, while Jungkook sat opposite his brother. 

"Yoongi darling, you know why I am here. It would be better if we reached an understanding rather than making my brother visit Daegu, don't you think?"

"I agree. Your brother is indeed an asshole."

"No need to curse, darling," Jimin said with a smirk on his face. 

This was politics and it was complex, Jungkook had no idea what Jimin meant by an understanding and he did not know why they were there. He was too focused on trying not to hit that stupid man for calling his brother an asshole. Jimin was probably bothered too, but he couldn't say anything. 

"I will not lose territory like that. We agreed on this a long time ago. You can tell your dear brother that it is negotiable, but I will not just give him the place like that."

"Of course we can negotiate, that is why I am here and he is not." 

"I am not stupid Jimin and I won't be played up by whatever charm you think you have. Tell me why you need more space than before and I will consider negotiating."

"I do not need to tell you anything, darling."

"Of course you do, or there will be no negotiation. We have an agreement, Park Jimin."

"Don't you dare think that I am stupid, Yoongi darling. The document you signed became void the moment you decided to talk with our dear friend Hoseok about expanding. Or do you think me and Hobi hyung lost touch?"

"You two are extremely annoying, always loud. You two talk too much. Snitches."

"No need to be resentful because he chose my side. It's politics. You understand, don't you?"

"Fine," Yoongi said with annoyance. 

What the hell were they debating about? Jungkook was a bit surprised that Yoongi backed off as soon as he heard the name of this Hoseok. Was him a big boss too? Apparently, he was someone people should be afraid of. The two of them continued to discuss the fine line of an agreement and Jungkook became a bit lost. He looked at Jimin and his brother offered him one of his vanilla scented smokes. _Better than nothing._

He lit his own cigarette and stared at the older man in front of him. If you looked closely enough, you could see that Jimin was flirting. But that was typical Jimin, he always flirted wherever he went and with whomever he wanted. Uncontrollable. 

"What do you think, Jungkook dear?"

"I..." he stuttered. "Think it is best to leave to those who know more about this subject than I do."

"That's a stupid answer," Yoongi said at the end. 

Jungkook faltered and he could see Jimin roll his eyes, they both knew what was coming. Yoongi would teach the young Jungkook a lesson and he would listen quietly. 

"It must've been good to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Tell me Jungkook-ssi, have you ever faced any real adversity?"

"No, sir."

"Have you ever been hungry?"

"No, sir."

"Have you ever witnessed real injustice?"

"No, sir."

"Now, have you ever seen someone get murdered?"

"No, sir."

"So I take your pretty little hands have never ended a life, have they?"

"No, sir."

"Good," Yoongi said as he pressed a button on the phone sitting in front of him. "Let me teach you a small lesson."

At this moment, the black door opened again and Jungkook's mouth dropped open. A young man entered the room and he was absolutely gorgeous. He was tall and slim, but Jungkook could see that his choice of clothing outlined his muscles. He looked a bit older than Jungkook, but not much. His dark black hair covered his brows in a sexy way and his eyes were penetrating, only gazing at Yoongi. Jungkook could feel his heart skip a beat and he felt desperate. He couldn't help his instinctive thoughts: _is he the one teaching me a lesson?_ And then, a faint smell finally hit him- lilly. Jungkook felt his stomach turn and he felt nauseous. It was not just lilly, it was something else mixed with it. It almost smelled like a bloody lilly. Was that even possible? The young man was focused on Yoongi and did not even turn his head to acknowledge him or Jimin. _What an asshole._

"Taehyung-ssi."

"Yes, sir."

"Have you ever been hungry? Have you ever starved?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you kill people, Taehyung?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you enjoy doing so?"

"Yes, sir." - he smirked.

"Is it easy to kill someone?"

"If you know _how_ to do it, yes. Death is easy to reach."

"Would you," he pointed at Jungkook, "kill him?"

Taehyung turned his head and finally acknowledged Jungkook. He had a horrifying smile on his face. It was filled with murderous intent and Jungkook felt as if that man was going to kill him at that exact moment in the most gruesome way he could think of. He remembered the words his brother had said earlier. 

_Psychotic serial killer._

Taehyung was exactly that, you could even see the twinkle in his eyes as he looked at Jungkook, thinking about killing him. It was one of the scariest encounters he had ever had in his life and he could feel the sweat in his palms drip onto his pants. This man was a psychopath, a true assassin. He was probably one of those people that got off by watching people be killed or by killing people themselves. He looked insane, _beautifully insane_. 

"Of course," he finally said as he pulled a knife from the pocket of his jacket and pointed at Jungkook. "Can I do it now?" He leaned in closer, making Jungkook flinch. The sadistic smile did not falter for a second.

Jungkook was petrified. This man actually had the courage to threaten him like that. He would indeed kill Kook if the order was given. He did not care. Who Jungkook was or wasn't did not matter. He was just another big fat pig in Taehyung's slaughterhouse. Just another name for his list. Did he not have morals? Did he not have a soul? He was truly insane. Jungkook could feel the hairs of his body stand on end and the shiver that went up his spine. He was holding onto his chair so tightly that he could feel his knuckles crack. The knife a few mere inches from his face as that man stared at him with a creepy smile. Jungkook could feel he was about to piss himself, but thankfully he was saved by his older brother.

"Taehyung-ssi, always so pretty and dramatic," Jimin interrupted Jungkook's suffering. 

At this moment, Taehyung turned his head and focused on Jimin. He bowed to the brother and then turned his focus to his boss. Yoongi had a sarcastic smirk on his face and could see that Jungkook was impressed by the whole situation. That was the lesson and Jungkook had learned. 

He had been humiliated enough and Jimin knew that, he changed the conversation back to politics and Jungkook felt as if he could breathe again. Sadly, he had forgotten how to do so and when he tried to inhale, he just choked and coughed. All the eyes in the room turned to him. _Humiliation._

"Taehyung, leave." Yoongi ordered. "Jungkook-ssi, you should learn from those who actually know something." The psycho left the room, looking over his shoulder at the young man. The smile had become even more malicious. 

His brother and Yoongi continued their conversation for a long time and Jungkook tried to pay attention to all of the details. He would have to report everything back to Jin later. Even though he tried to focus, his mind kept going back to Taehyung. He had left quite an impression on Jungkook and he was now trying to understand what was the deal with that psycho. He was clearly mad and he did not have a problem threatening the brother of a family boss. He did not care at all. _Psychopath._

The meeting eventually ended and Jimin led Jungkook down the hallway back to the entrance of the bar. The sun was setting and soon customers would begin to arrive. It was time to go. They had to get ready to go to dinner at Yoongi's house later and Jungkook really needed some fresh air. 

Jimin and Jungkook got into the car, but did not say a word to each other during the whole car ride. They arrived back at the hotel and each went to their respective room. Deadly silence. Jungkook was too annoyed by what had happened to say a word to Jimin, even though he knew Jimin would stay by his side. 

He lied on the bed and grabbed his phone from his back pocket. He did not really know what to write to his brother. 

_Dear Seokjin, I was humiliated._

_Dear hyung, I almost pissed my pants._

_Dear Jin, you were right about those men._

It all seemed so pathetic and Jungkook felt that every drop of his pride had gone down the drain. He groaned everytime he remembered that meeting. He decided not to write anything and he just stared at the ceiling for a long time. His phone buzzed and he looked at it. 

_Jiminie: Be ready in 15._

_Jiminie: Don't worry about what happened today, Yoongi can be overly dramatic. He's a bit of a drama queen._

Jungkook groaned again and buried his face in his hands. This was just too much. He had been humiliated by a tiny dramatic man and his psychopath of an assistant, and Jungkook was just too pissed at himself for not being able to answer back to them. Make them fear him. _UGH!_

He changed his clothes and put on a heavier coat, the winter air was becoming frosty again. He headed for the lobby and sat down in the same chair Jimin had been previously sitting while waiting for his brother. There weren't many people in the hotel lobby, so there wasn't much to look at. Jungkook first stared at a group of old _ahjummas_ , but they quickly left. He was now left staring at the people who came in and out of the hotel, making the doors open and letting the cold air into the lobby. 

"Kookie darling, let's go. We are going to be late," Jimin said with a smile. 

Jimin had the same turtleneck from before, but now he had paired it with a pair of jeans and a jacket that had the same blue tone. He was extremely handsome and it seemed that he was trying to impress someone. Jungkook found it funny, since Yoongi did not seem like someone who appreciated male attention. 

The car ride was silent and in no time the brothers had arrived at the apartment complex. They left their car and walked inside the building. They entered the elevator and Jimin pressed for the penthouse. _Typical._ The elevator was fast and in a few moments they had arrived at Yoongi's place. 

Jimin and Jungkook took out their shoes and put on the comfortable slippers that were set on the floor in front of them. As soon as they tried to enter the room, they ran into someone Jungkook did not expect to see anytime soon. Taehyung. They exchanged looks and the man bowed back to them. _That's a first._ But that horrible murderous smirk was back as soon as he laid his eyes on Jungkook. _This guy was truly insane_. 

"Taehyung-ssi, are you leaving?"

"Yes, sir. I have other matters to tend to."

"No, no," Jimin turned him around and pushed Taehyung's waist back into the living room. "You are having dinner with us. You can tend to those other matters later."

  
  



	5. SMELL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

They had arrived in the living room and the table was set. Yoongi was pouring the wine into the cups. As soon as he saw Taehyung, he arched one eyebrow and shifted his look to Jimin. 

"Yoongi darling, it has been so long since I had dinner with the both of you. It would be a wasted trip if I did not have dinner with our pretty Taehyung," Jimin said as he smiled at Taehyung. 

Yoongi mumbled something and Taehyung bowed to his boss. Jimin and Yoongi seemed like a married couple and this made Jungkook feel weird. They all sat down at the table and, conveniently, Taehyung sat in front of Jungkook. He was extremely bothered by the sight he would have to endure throughout the night. The man could be as handsome as a god, but he was an unbearable prick.

Sitting near Taehyung would mean he would have to endure that sweet and pungent smell that he had. _Bloody lilly._ It was such a different smell that Jungkook could not even begin to understand where it came from. That could not be a perfume, no one would be crazy enough to make something that smelled like that. It truly just smelled like _death_ to him. The obnoxious scent of lilies paired with the metallic smell of blood. 

The staff set the plates and Kook was surprised by the news that they would be having steak that night. Jungkook would never complain about food, he loved eating. But he did not want to see Taehyung wielding a knife again. The thought made him shiver and it seemed that Taehyung caught up on that. He was smiling again. 

Jungkook had not said a word since they had sat down to eat and Jimin could see he was disturbed. 

"Yoongi darling, how long have you and Taehyung been working together?"

"You want to know how long he has been shooting, stabbing, gutting and butchering on my behalf? About 10 years," Yoongi said with a smile. "He enjoys it so much that I would feel bad if I ever made him stop." He laughed out loud. 

"You two make quite the pair. Just like Namjoon and Jackson," Jimin smiled at them.

The mention of Jackson's name made Taehyung twitch and Jungkook saw that. He thought that he could use that in his favour. He could make Taehyung feel what he had felt earlier that day, so he just went for it. The consequences did not matter. 

"Jackson Wang? He is a very interesting man. Him and Namjoon were at our house yesterday."

"Yes, he is very interesting. Very sadistic too, charming man," Taehyung said as he put his hands together, cupping his chin while staring at Jungkook with a fake smile. 

Jungkook had not inflicted any damage. Taehyung probably understood what the young man was trying to do and decided to counter it. Jungkook did not stand a chance.

"He has a special technique, you know? First, he slices the skin of your back open with 2 parallel cuts on each shoulder." He demonstrated cutting into his steak with his sharp knife. "He then proceeds to lift the skin and uses it as handles while you dangle from the ceiling." Taehyung was dangling his steak with his fingers, blood dripping on the plate. 

Jungkook shivered and Taehyung could see the young man cower in his chair. _Pathetic_. Yoongi and Jimin laughed at Taehyung's explanation while Jungkook just stared at the butchered steak that was now lying sadly on his plate. How could he say such a thing with a smile on his face?

"You either die from the splitting pain or from the blood loss, whichever comes first. Very few people live to tell the story and if they do, it's only because he wants them to." 

"He is very famous for that, I've heard." Jimin sipped on his wine. 

"Indeed he is. What he likes the most is the screaming. Oh he _relinquishes_ on them. If you don't scream, he will find ways to make you."

"You seem very fond of him, Taehyung-ssi."

"Me?" He laughed. "No, no. I hate the fucker. But I respect his way of doing things. He is a master. A true artist."

"I thought you yourself were the famous artist, Taehyung." 

"Me? Certainly not. I just have my way of getting things done. I am not bothered by blood nor death, I just like the smell of it." His eyes fixated on Jungkook. "People on the verge of dying release this sort of smell, like death was letting you know that she is there to collect its prize. It's inebriating, almost like a drug," he said as he sipped on the wine. 

"Interesting. The smell of death. I've never smelled it, but I will try to next time I have the chance." Jimin had a malicious smile on his plump lips. 

"Do try, it is addictive. Once you actually smell it, you will never be the same." He focused his eyes on Jungkook. "Trust me."

Taehyung twirled the glass of wine with his fingers and stared back at Jungkook. He then proceeded to look back at his plate. A bloody mess. His smile grew wider as he stared at the small pool of blood that had formed in the center, staining the white porcelain. Taehyung lifted his index and ran it through the blood pool, coating his finger with the animal blood and, as he stared at Jungkook, sucked on the index. It was almost sexual. No, it _WAS_ sexual. Taehyung was openly flirting with Jungkook in his own twisted and fucked up way. _What the fuck is going on?_

Jungkook almost choked on his own saliva, but he did his best to not humiliate himself like that in front of those two anymore. The moment Taehyung talked about the smell of death, the only thing he could imagine was his smell. That disgusting sweet and metallic odor he had, Taehyung's natural perfume. This man was clearly insane. Jungkook had finished his dinner with extreme difficulty having to hear Taehyung's graphic depictions of his butchering and now all he wanted was to smoke a cigarette and leave. He put his pack of smokes on the table and Yoongi stared at him. 

"Unfortunately, I will have to ask you to smoke on the balcony Jungkook-ssi. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not, sir. I will be back shortly," he said with a faint smile on his lips. 

As soon as Jungkook closed the balcony door, he let out a deep sigh. He could breathe again, away from those crazy _fuckers_ that had made him hear about how much they loved to kill people. _Psychopaths._ He lit his cigarette, inhaling as much as his lungs could take and then let out a small cloud in front of his face. The door suddenly slammed shut. 

"Mind if I join you?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No." Taehyung leaned on the balcony railing.

Jungkook was extremely annoyed by the other man's presence, but he knew he was no match for Taehyung. He was simply insane and Jungkook was not in the mood to hear any more of his fucked up stories. He politely offered the other man one of his cigarettes but Taehyung denied his offer. 

"I just gave them some privacy to talk. I do not smoke."

"Suit yourself." He puffed on his cigarette again.

Jungkook tried his best to look unamused by the other man's attitude. Taehyung seemed to be acting like he was too cool and Jungkook found it quite annoying. Smoking was a big no no, but butchering someone to death was ok. He was a seriously messed up person. 

"How is your brother? We could not attend the funeral."

"He is fine." Jungkook opened a grim smile on his face as he looked over to Taehyung "Don't beat yourself up." He turned to face the city again. 

Jungkook finished his cigarette and looked back at the living room. Jimin and Yoongi were still talking and his brother was smiling happily. Too happily. It was a weird sight. He walked towards the door and began to open it. He was stopped mid action by a pale slim hand that covered most of Jungkook's own hand and forced him to close the door again. 

"Don't interrupt. Sit down. I'll tell you when we can go back in."

"Interrupt what? They are just talking business."

"If you try again, I will not hesitate to throw you over the railing."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I do not threaten people, I inform them. If you open the door, I will kill you." Taehyung said bluntly in his deep voice. 

Jungkook growled and sat on one of the chairs that were scattered throughout the balcony. He picked up his phone and could see that he had a missed call from Seokjin. He pressed the call button putting the phone in his ear as he got up and walked away from Taehyung.

_"You did not send me a report. I am disappointed."_

_"We are having dinner at Yoongi hyung’s place."_

_"Did the meeting go well?"_

_"They came to an agreement."_

_"Are there people near you?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Min Yoongi?"_

_"No, sir."_

_"Kim Taehyung?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Are you alone with him?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Find Jimin. Now."_

_"Yes, sir."_

The call was disconnected. 

He looked at Taehyung and then back at the room where Jimin and Yoongi were talking. He approached the door and looked back at Taehyung for a second, he was already up and ready to stop Jungkook, probably by throwing him over the railing. 

"My brother and I have business to tend to. It is time for us to leave."

"Fine, you may go," Taehyung said as he removed his hand from Jungkook’s. 

Kook entered the room and Jimin glanced over at him. He instantly knew something was off and stood up to talk to him. He strode like a fairy, as always, and stopped in front of Jungkook before he approached the table. 

"Seokjin called," he whispered with a smile on his face. 

"Yoongi darling, it is time for us to leave. You know Seokjin has given us quite a busy schedule. What a pity, tell the boys I will have a beer with them sometime soon. We will see ourselves out." He waved at Taehyung meaning he was saying goodbye. 

Jungkook bowed down to Yoongi and then to Taehyung, quickly turning and accompanying Jimin back to the elevator. They were completely silent until they reached the ground floor. As soon as Jungkook got out of the elevator, Jimin pinned him down against the wall using his forearm to cut his brother's air flow.

"What did you tell him, Kookie darling?"

"N-nothing."

"Are you sure?" Jimin pushed even harder against his throat and Jungkook was practically out of air. 

"Y-y-yes, _hyung_." Jungkook had raised his hand and was tugging into Jimin's jacket. 

His brother let him go and Jungkook fell to his knees trying to catch his breath. Jimin was staring down at him, stroking his chin with his small fingers. He extended his hand down to help his baby brother up and Jungkook hesitated for a second before taking his hand. He stood up again, staring at Jimin. 

"Why would Seokjin tell you to leave? Did Tae-Tae do something to you?"

"No, he asked me if I was alone with Taehyung and I said yes. Then he told me to find you, immediately."

"Oh please, he was just scared that Taehyung would do something bad to you."

"Aren't you?"

"No." Jimin smiled as he strode down the lobby and went outside. 

Jungkook was paralized. He could not understand what had just happened. Seokjin was clearly scared that Taehyung would do something to him, so much that he made him leave Min Yoongi's house. But Jimin was not scared at all. He didn't even seem to care if Taehyung did something to him. Jungkook never thought Jimin was not a fox in sheep's clothing. He was sly and cunning. He did as he pleased and how he pleased, just because he could. He did not think he would act like that towards his own brother, but then again he was the one that said that betrayal ran in the Kim blood. 

Jungkook was back in his hotel room and he was feeling dizzy again. So much had happened and he had endured a long day of craziness. He picked up his phone and decided that it was time to talk to his older brother. The night had been strange and Jimin had surprised him. He needed to know what he was dealing with. 

_JK: We need to talk_

_Seokjinie: Talk_

_JK: Jimin did something…_

_Seokjinie: What?_

_JK: He got angry when I said you told me to find him._

_JK: He suspected I had told you something_

_Seokjinie: Of course he did_

_Seokjinie: Is he with you?_

_JK: No, I'm alone in my room_

_Seokjinie: Go to bed. I will call you tomorrow. Answer when I do._

_JK: Ok, hyung._

Jungkook put his phone on the nightstand and lied back in bed. What did Seokjin mean by "of course he did"? He was certainly being left out of something big and he was afraid. Afraid of who was right in the end. Was Seokjinie acting in his best interest? Was Jimin protecting him? Who was the brother he could trust, if there was even one? He could just be a sheep in the middle of two foxes who were both trying to kill him. The thought sent shivers down his spine and Jungkook felt breathless. 

_Could he trust anyone?_

His mind went back to the psychopath and he remembered his smell. The sweet and metallic odor of death. It made him want to puke. Literally puke. Jungkook got up and ran to the bathroom. He kneeled in front of the toilet and threw up everything he had eaten that day. It was a long time before he stopped feeling sick and he finally breathed again. He looked down at the toilet and all he could see was a red mess. There was blood everywhere, the white porcelain stained with his blood. 

_WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?_

Jungkook hated the sight of blood. It wasn't unbearable but he did not like to see bloody things. It reminded him too much of his childhood and that made him angry. He raised his hand and pushed the flush to get rid of all that blood. The red vomit twirled in the toilet and went down the water pipe, disappearing from his sight. He breathed in relief but he could still taste the metal in his mouth. _Disgusting._

He got up and went back to his bed, covering himself with the blanket. It was not fluffy but it would do the trick. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

That night, Jungkook dreamt about his father. 

\--

Jungkook woke up the next day feeling like _shit_ , throwing up had taken its toll on him and now he was feeling sick all over. He picked up his phone and called Jung-hwan hyung. He asked him to buy him some _Pocari_ and a couple of pills for his stomach. A while later he heard a knock on his door and got up to see who it was. He was surprised to see Jimin holding the bag with his medicine and did not answer his brother right away. 

"I met Jung-hwan in the hallway and he told me you asked him for medicine. Are you okay, baby boy?"

"I threw up last night and today I woke up feeling a bit sick. That's all."

"Do you have a fever?" Jimin pressed the back of his hand on Jungkook's forehead to feel his temperature, but he was not hot. 

"I don't think so. I think it was something I ate."

"Stay in your bed and take the pills. I will go down and fetch you some soup from the restaurant. Don't get up," Jimin warned him with a smile. 

He nodded and his brother saw himself out. Jungkook was really not feeling well. He lied back in his bed and swallowed the pills with the bottle of _Pocari_ that Jung-hwan had bought. At this moment, Jungkook started to consider a crazy idea that did not seem as crazy the more he thought about it. Had he been poisoned? 

Jimin came back with a bowl of _miyeok-guk_ , _jook_ and some tea for Jungkook. He sat down on his bed and Jimin sat beside him, making sure he ate the whole meal. Jimin was always maternal when it came to Jungkook. He would take care of him when he was sick and would always make sure he ate his food so he got better faster. Even when the medicine tasted bad, he would mix it with honey to make it less bitter. Kook always appreciated that. It was his way of telling his baby brother that he loved him. 

"Kookie, I am sorry for what I did last night. Can you forgive me?"

"It's okay, you just got angry."

"No, it is not okay. I hurt you. You did not deserve that. I drank a lot and acted like an asshole."

"I know. It really is okay."

"Seokjin was worried that Taehyung would hurt you, but in the end I was the one who did it." Jimin smiled, but Jungkook could see that he was sad. 

He pushed the tray aside and leaned forward to hug his brother, Jimin hugged him back. It was good that they had reconciled like that. Unfortunately Jungkook did not trust his brother the same way he did before. There was something bad about Yoongi and Taehyung, and he was positive that Jimin was involved with them. If not for a good cause, then for a bad one. He would not mention this to Seokjin. He did not know if he could trust him either. 

Jimin had left and Jungkook was now lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. He still felt like shit and had no intention of getting up anytime soon. Jimin said he would tend to some business he still had in town and they would drive back to Busan when Kook felt better. He had no reason to worry. Still he did. 

His brother seemed like he had ulterior motives, second intentions and Jungkook was starting to catch up with his act. He did not know if this was good or bad but he was now more than sure that Jimin and Yoongi were more than just business partners. He just didn't know exactly what they were. 

Jungkook's phone was vibrating and he looked to the screen to see who was calling. Once he saw the name on the screen he immediately picked up. 

_"Hyung!"_

_"Are you alone?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Good, listen to me. Now that you have been made part of the family, you are not safe anymore, Jungkook. People will try to harm you. Do not give them the opportunity."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Jung-hwan told me you were sick. What happened?"_

_"I felt sick, that's all."_ Jungkook desperately wanted to say that he had vomited blood, but he decided to omit the information. _"It was just something I ate."_

_"Stay alert, Jungkook. I will not be there to protect you anymore. This is a big world and you are alone in it. People will do anything, say anything to take you down. Do not trust anyone, do you understand?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Repeat it."_

_"I do not trust anyone,"_ A small tear fell down to his cheek. _"Not even my family."_

_"Good. Don't."_

The call was disconnected. 

Indeed, he was alone. He had never thought that becoming part of the Family would mean that he would lose his own. This was possibly the saddest moment in Jungkook's life. The day he was abandoned for the second time by his own kin. He curled up in his bed and began to sob. Sad as it may seem, it was what, in the end, would change him. 

At this moment, Jungkook decided he would turn off whatever feelings he had. He was alone again and nothing mattered. He was now inserted in a world of soulless people and he had to become one of them. Love, happiness, friendship, and all those good feelings were no longer part of his life. He would become like his brothers, like Min Yoongi and Kim Taehyung. Yes, he would become just like them. No feelings and no regrets. No fear. Nothing. An empty shell. 

He eventually fell asleep and when Jungkook opened his eyes again, the sun had set and the room was slightly dark. He had slept all day and Jimin was nowhere to be seen. He grew suspicious but eventually ignored the feeling. Jungkook sat on his bed and picked up his phone to check up the time. Jimin had sent him messages. 

_Jiminie: Kookie darling, you were sleeping so peacefully that I did not have the courage to wake you up. Rest a bit and call me when you wake up._

_Jiminie: Kookie, I ran into some long time friends and came to drink a few beers with them. Call me when you wake up._

_Jiminie: KOOOOOOOOOOOOKIE! Jiminie hyung is a bit drunk...ooops._

_Jiminie: We will head back to Busan tomorrow morning! *pinky promise* Call hyungie when you wake up, baby!!!_

Jungkook didn't know if he laughed or cried at those texts. Jimin was drunk and they would have to stay in this damned city longer than he had expected. He stared at the screen for a while longer and then he pressed the call button. It rang twice before Jimin finally picked up.

_"Kookie, you are up!"_

_"Oh, yes, hyung. Are you okay?"_

_"Of course I am, just a bit drunk. Shh don't tell Seokjinie!"_

_"Do you want me to come to your room?"_

_"No, no. I'm not at the hotel. I'm....somewhere else. Do not worry. Grab something to eat and rest up a bit. Tomorrow morning, Jung-hwan hyung we'll drive us back to Busan. No worries."_

_"Oh, okay. I will set an alarm then. Good night, hyung."_

_"Good night, Kookie darling."_

Jungkook took the phone away from his ear and ended the call. He had a small smile on his face, it was funny to see Jimin this carefree and happy. He was probably happy to see his friends again after all those years and drank a bit too much. Understandable. Jungkook wondered if Jimin had told Seokjin that they would stay another night in Daegu. He decided to text his brother just to make sure he knew.

_JK: Hyung, we will stay another night in Daegu._

_Seokjinie: I am aware, Jung-hwan informed me._

_JK: Are you ok?_

_Seokjinie: Is there a reason for me not to be?_

_JK: No, I was just wondering…_

_Seokjinie: About?_

_JK: When will I see you again…_

_Seokjinie: We will see each other at the end-of-year Family reunion in Seoul. Do not worry about that now._

_JK: Ok, hyung. Have a safe trip._

Jungkook knew that his brother would not answer his text, but still he felt as if he had to send it. It would be the last time he would say affectionate words to him. He felt the emptiness inside of him grow. This was maybe the saddest goodbye he had given one of his brothers. Even when Jimin left, he had not felt like that. This was truly painful and Kook's body began to ache all over. It was like he was forcefully pushing out every ounce of love and affection he had inside of him. It was an excruciating pain and he could almost feel his skin splitting open. 

He curled up in his bed and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain. A long time passed before he opened his eyes again. He had not slept but still he did not open his eyes for a very long time. The pain had subsided and he felt numb. Was this how Jimin and Seokjin felt? Was Taehyung like this? He shook his head as the young man's face appeared in front of him. He hated that pretentious fuck and he would not spare him a thought. 

Kook looked around the room and it was completely dark, not a single trace of light. He climbed out of his bed and turned on the lights, making everything visible again. He was tired but he was also hungry. The young man decided to take a shower and then head down to the restaurant to eat something; maybe ask Jung-hwan to go to a restaurant with him. 

The water was running and Jungkook stepped inside the shower, closing the glass door behind him. He rested his forehead against the cold tile and let the hot water fall on his neck and back, relaxing his hard muscles. Many thoughts passed through his mind, but none of them stuck for a long time. So much had happened in his life in the past days and he was still trying to understand it all. 

He would not forget his past, all those moments that had made him the man he was now. Still, he had to focus on the future, focus on being strong and able to handle the life he was now going to have. Being in the middle of drug lords, gun smugglers, and criminals was not an easy task. It was not even morally acceptable. Yet they were part of this new chapter. 

Jungkook stayed a long time under the hot water, his skin becoming red. Eventually, he turned off the tap and walked out of the shower, drying his fit body. His fingers moving up and down his toned up abs. Jungkook was a person that could lose a lot of weight and become ripped with just a bit of exercise. It was something most people would envy. He just thought it was normal. 

He wrapped the towel around his waist and left the bathroom, heading for his backpack. As soon as he set his foot out of the smoky bathroom, Jungkook realised the room was darker than when he entered the bathroom. Had he turned off the lights? Kook did not remember doing so. Anyway, he walked towards the switch and the room was lit up again. 

To his surprise, Jungkook could now see a young woman sitting on the chair on the opposite side of the room, her gun pointed at Jungkook.

  
  



	6. CHANGE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/N:  
> Yowang (여왕) = Queen  
> Wang (왕) = King

As soon as he laid his eyes on her and realized she had a gun pointed at him, Jungkook's eyes widened and his feet sloppily moved backwards causing him to collapse on the floor. As Kook fell, his towel was untied and the young man was now completely naked and with his legs stretched open. 

The unknown woman's red lips stretched into a small malicious grin as she straightened her back on the chair, the gun slowly bending down to aim at Jungkook's intimate parts. He was petrified and the woman was clearly feeling pleasure with his suffering. 

"I will let you have your dignity back and allow you to wrap yourself up with that towel," she smiled as she used the gun to tell Jungkook to stand up. 

The young man got up and turned away from the woman, wrapping the towel tighter around his waist. He may have cut the blood flow to his legs, but still he knew that it was better to lose his legs than to be naked in front of a stranger again. She stared at him with killing intent written in her eyes. She was no ordinary woman- she was an assassin. 

"Well, Jeon Jungkook, will you tell  _ noona  _ what you and your fairy brother are doing in Daegu?"

"W-who are you?"

"Is that really important?" she scoffed.

Jungkook was utterly fucked. This woman had a gun pointed at him and he had no way of escaping that room alive if she did not want him to. Jimin was not in the hotel and he had no way of alerting Jung-hwan. He knew he would have to play her game if he wanted to come out alive. He had to spill the information, but not all of it. 

"We came to meet  _ Wang _ Min."

"That, I already know, baby. What about?"

"I do not know. I was kept out of the conversation."

"Don't underestimate my intelligence, Jungkook-ssi." She pointed the gun towards his head. "I will give you another chance; use it wisely."

"Territory in Busan, this is all I know."

"Interesting. And where is your big brother?"

"Out."

"Not the fairy, he is too busy keeping  _ Wang _ Min entertained." She smiled. "Where is Seokjin?"

"Busan."

"You really don't value your life, do you? I told you I would give you one last chance and you did not use it well." She stood up and strode towards Jungkook. 

He could not move, her eyes had pinned him down and his feet were unable to move. She was getting closer by the second and he did not know what to do. She was now mere inches from him and she kept on getting closer. The barrel of her gun was now rubbing against the skin of his navel. She slowly raised her gun, the cold metal rubbing against his skin and making Jungkook shiver. The gun traveled upwards and stopped at his temple. 

If she shot him now, Jungkook would not even stand a chance of surviving. His head was going to be blown up and the tiny pieces of his brain would redecorate the bedroom wall.  _ Fancy.  _ He was scared out of his mind, but still he tried not to show. In vain, Jungkook was trembling and she could see it. It was a miracle that he hadn't pissed himself by now. 

"I am in a good mood today so I'm going to ask you again. Where is Kim Seokjin?"

"He left the country. He did not tell me where he was going. He just left. I swear."

"Out of the country? Interesting," she said as she picked up her phone, which was vibrating. 

Jungkook was trying extremely hard to survive at this point. He did not want to be shot and killed by some random woman because of his brother's business. He didn't even know what he was being shot for. 

_ "Jung-hwan baby, long time no see!" _ She seemed truly happy to talk to him. 

Jung-hwan? He knew her? 

_ "He is fine, still intact!" _ she licked his ear with her wet tongue. 

Jungkook flinched. 

_ "Ok, fine. I will let him live," _ she laughed.  _ "For now." _

The gun left his temple and she put it back on the back of her pants by the belt. 

_ "I will give your regards to Yowang." _

She turned off her phone and backed away from Jungkook, who was still paralyzed with fear. The woman laughed and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, making his face turn red. She proceeded to walk towards the door, picking up her coat from the hanger. She stared back at Jungkook for a second. 

"Tell Seokjin,  _ Yowang _ misses him.'' She opened the door and left. 

Jungkook fell to the ground with a thud. His head was spinning and he felt weak. He was extremely tired even though he had just woken up. It actually felt like he was going to pass out. He forced himself to stay awake, afraid the woman might come back and actually kill him. While he was trembling on the floor, he heard the door open and someone quickly kneeled in front of him. Jung-hwan was staring at Jungkook with worried eyes and he knew the young man was in shock. He shook Jungkook a couple of times and then helped him up. 

"Kook, are you okay?"

"Y-yes."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."

"It's..." he sighed. "Fine. I'm fine."

After a long time trying to calm him down, Jung-hwan was eventually successful. Jungkook was now talking normally again and did not seem as shaken. Seeing the boy was starting to go back to normal, he told him they should go eat something at a Chinese restaurant nearby. Jungkook agreed and, after a few minutes, both men were in the car heading for the restaurant. 

They ate silently for a long time, but Jungkook was curious. He needed to know who was the woman who had just tried to kill him and why Jung-hwan was so calm about the whole situation. Everyone in this world seemed too calm about death. He made a mental note to learn how to be like that. Not feel afraid of death. 

"Who is that woman?"

"Kang Seulgi."

"Who is  _ Yowang _ ?"

"Bae Joo Hyun."

"What does she want with my brother?"

"You will have to ask him that, Kook."

Both Jungkook and Jung-hwan knew that Seokjin would not answer his question and that is why he answered the young boy like that. It meant that Jungkook should stop probing for answers. He would not receive them. He was tired of being kept out of the loop and he had already decided he would change himself in order to fit this dark new world. He stared at Jung-hwan for a while then put his chopsticks down. 

"Can you teach me how to use a gun?" he asked in a low assertive voice. 

Jung-hwan raised his eyes, which had been focusing on the bowl of food in front of him and stared back at Jungkook. He tilted his head to the side as he studied his face and Jungkook remained silent. 

"Why?"

"Because I do not feel comfortable having people point guns at me and not being able to point one back at them."

"I trust you wish me to keep this a secret from your brother."

"No, you can tell him if you want to. If you do not wish to teach me, I can find someone else that does."

"Fine, we can start tomorrow when we get back." he slurped the soup. 

Jung-hwan drove them back to the hotel and as soon as Jungkook got back to his room he threw himself on the bed. He didn't even bother to change his clothes into something more comfortable. He just lied there like nothing mattered anymore. He was tired and angry. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

\--

Jimin was lying on the backseat, sleeping. He was extremely hungover and let Jungkook ride shotgun so he could sleep on the way home. That morning he had showed up with his hair wet, his clothes from the day before and his sunglasses on. Jungkook just found it extremely funny, especially when he asked them to speak in a lower tone. 

A sleepy Jimin meant no Shawn Mendes, and both Jungkook and Jung-hwan were very pleased about that. The journey wasn't long and, in no time, they were back in Busan. The day was gloomy and it would certainly rain at some point. Jungkook hated rainy days. 

As soon as they arrived back at the mansion, Jimin headed straight for his room and locked the door. He would pass out for the rest of the day and that was a good thing for Jungkook. Seokjin had already left for Japan and the big house had become even more lonely. 

He left his bag in his room and then went back downstairs, looking for Jung-hwan. He found his teacher in the kitchen and sat beside him on one of the white stools. The older man was having a sandwich and did not even bother to look at Jungkook. 

"Can I help you, Kook?"

"I'm waiting for my lesson."

"Fine," he sighed. "Let's go to the garden."

Jungkook followed his hyung and they both sat down at the small glass table that stood in the bonsai garden. This was Seokjin's favorite place in the house and Jung-hwan had learned to cherish it just as much as his boss. He sat down and put his gun in the middle of the table.   
"Do you know what this is?"

"Trigger." Jungkook spoke confidently. 

"And this?"

"Grip."

"This?"

"Cartridge."

"This?"

"Slide." 

"How do you hold a gun?"

"Like this." Jungkook confidently held the pistol in his hand.

"Great, now shoot me in the head." Jung-hwan held Kook's hand and placed the gun in front of his head, the muzzle touching his forehead. 

Jungkook froze. His hand began to tremble and he had lost focus. His finger was in the trigger and if he actually pressed it, Jung-hwan would die. He began to sweat and his palms were dripping. He was absolutely terrified of taking that man's life and Jung-hwan knew that.

"Playing video games is easy, Kook. Real life is scary and sad. If you choose the path in which you must wield a gun, you have to understand the consequences of it."

"O-okay."

"You know I'm not the one that does the killing in this family, right? That's my brother. He was the one that taught me how to shoot and when he did, he taught me a lesson. He said:  _ It is not the gun that kills people, it's your decision _ ." 

Jungkook was silent.

"Deciding to take a life is never easy. It's painful. And that's how it's supposed to be- you have to suffer from it. Taking a life is unnatural and you have to pay the price for going against nature, Kook. Call me a romantic if you will, but that is the truth."

"Does my brother suffer?"

"A lot."

Jung-hwan and Jungkook spent a lot of time in the garden talking. The older man taught him more about his feelings than actually about shooting, but Jungkook felt that this was much more important than pulling the trigger. He understood that this was the easy part. Dealing with the aftermath was the complicated part. 

It eventually began to rain and Kook's lesson ended. They both got into the house and parted ways. As soon as he entered the house, Jungkook's eyes landed on a specific door. Seokjin's office. His brother had left and now his office was completely empty. Was this an opportunity? Maybe. 

He tip-toed silently and opened the door to his brother's office. It was empty and organized. He carefully walked towards the wooden desk, where his computer was. Jungkook looked around and turned it on. After a few seconds the computer was on and he could use it, or so he thought. It was rather obvious that Jin's computer had a password but Jungkook stupidly thought this was going to be an easy task. 

He clicked once and stared at the screen. What would Seokjin's password be? Busan? Kim? Kim Seokjin? Renowned Psychopath? Shit, what was the password? Jungkook typed a few possibilities and they were all wrong. He was growing restless and could not think of any other possibilities, but it suddenly dawned on him. Could it be? He pulled the keyboard next to him and typed again.

Password: **J U N G K O O K**

The screen told him that he had been wrong again.  _ So much for brotherly love _ . Still, he was not going to give up so easily. Something was telling him that Jungkook was the answer. He stared at the screen for a long time and he decided to try again.  _ Last time. _

Password: **K O O K**

The screen unlocked and the desktop was right in front of him. This was hilarious. Jungkook really was his brother's password. He felt kind of happy. This feeling did not last long. He looked at the desktop and there was only one lonely folder named " _ Jungkook _ ". 

He contemplated it for a while, but he did not understand anything anymore. This meant his brother had some sort of information about him. Was it good or bad? Why would he even do that? He clicked twice on it and the folder opened, showing him a single document file. It had no name, but Jungkook did not care. He clicked twice and the file opened.

_ Jungkook, get off my computer.  _

_ Kim Seokjin _

He did not know whether he should laugh or cry, but he was pissed. He fell down and sat on the ground trying to understand what had happened. Had he been  _ trolled _ by his brother? Was he even capable of that? Jungkook was laughing by himself on the floor when the door opened. Kook quickly crawled under the desk and hid quietly. 

_ "Yes, yes. I am aware, baby." _ Jimin said in an annoyed tone. You could almost see him roll his eyes. 

Jungkook covered his mouth and his nose with his hand. He could not make a single sound right now. 

_ "No, he is going to Seoul in a few days. It will all go according to plan, trust me." _

His brother was on the phone with someone who had been asking about him.  _ Suspicious. _

_ "No, I will not do that. Don't push your luck," _ Jimin growled. 

Growling was not something Jimin used to do, so this made everything even more suspicious. Jungkook was certain that he was listening to something interesting. He shifted underneath the desk and grabbed his phone. He quickly unlocked it and opened the recorder in his phone, recording every single thing his brother said. For a moment he felt like a spy, learning deep secrets and using them in his favor. 

_ "I promise I will keep quiet." _

Jungkook had no idea what was going on and he was afraid that his brother was actually working with the "bad guys". But then again, wasn't  _ he _ one of the bad guys?

_ "It is better to wait for him to leave. Once he is in Seoul we can move on with our plan. If he found out, Jungkook would certainly tell Seokjin and then we would end up dead in a ditch somewhere." _

He was clearly talking about him, but why did he want Jungkook to leave so bad? 

_ "Daddy, please. I just want to suck your cock," _ Jimin whined. 

_ WHAT THE FUCK? _

What Jungkook thought was a top secret conversation between Jimin and someone bad, was actually just his brother arranging his booty call with his lover. He was nauseous and wanted to run away, but he couldn't alert him. The cabinet door slammed shut and the office door was closed right after. Jungkook finally breathed again. His brother just wanted to steal some good booze from Seokjin's (not so secret) secret stash. 

He felt bad for doubting his brother and quickly deleted the audio recording, specially because he did not want to hear that last sentence again. Ever. He crawled out from under the desk and stood up again, straightening his back. Jimin came back inside the room. 

"Kookie?"

"Oh, hey  _ hyung _ ."

"What are you doing here?" Jimin arched one eyebrow as he stared at Kook.

"Looking for the key of the secret stash." 

"I have it. What do you want to drink?"

"You choose. I was going to ask you if you wanted to have a drink with me," he smiled at his brother. 

"Wine. Red." Jimin grabbed a couple of bottles and exited the room.

Jungkook closed the cabinet door and followed him back to the living room. The glass wall was now wet from the rain that had begun to pour outside. His brother was pouring wine into the glasses while he hummed a tune. Kook could only stare. Jimin gave one of the glasses to his younger brother and stared back at him. He seemed conflicted. 

"Kookie, do you love me?" he smiled brightly. 

"Of course, I do."

"Would you love me even if I did something bad?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Why?"

"Because my sense of love and loyalty is  _ fucked _ up." He sipped on his wine. "And I cannot differentiate between good or bad."

"Father raised such lovely creatures."

"He did not raise me. You and Seokjinie did." he turned to watch the rain. 

Jimin was taken aback even though he knew that was true and Kook could see it. His brother was always extremely cunning and sly, but he was also extremely maternal. He always made sure Jungkook was happy and fed. Seokjin also did that, but in his own strange way. 

"We did a poor job, Kookie darling." He stared at the glass wall and lit up a cigarette. "I could've done better and now I do not have time anymore."

"You didn't. Both of you did your best." Jungkook smiled at him. 

"Some time ago I told you that you would eventually have to choose a side, do you remember?"

"Yes."

Jungkook knew where this was going and he always dreaded the day this question would be asked. He always thought it would be a choice between his father and his brothers, but after the Old Kim died he knew that he would eventually have to choose between his brothers. As sad as it may seem, he always had the same answer in his head. 

"When I was exiled by my father, I went to university and finished my studies. After two years I was done and asked him if I could come back. He said no. I begged Seokjin to help me and he turned his back on me." Jimin seemed genuinely hurt, but he just puffed on his vanilla cigarette again. "I had no other choice than to ask some shady people for help. In the end, I was able to go back to Daegu and laid low with my mother." 

Jungkook was silent. He would not dare to say anything at this moment because he had never heard this. Jimin was opening up and telling him about the lowest point of his life. 

"Life was so shitty, I wanted to end it. I wanted to die, but I could not betray my mother like that nor give that old man the satisfaction. And that was when I met him, Kookie. I fell in love with someone that I should not, who would possibly kill me if they felt like it." His eyes were glowing.

Something inside Jungkook clicked.  _ Someone that he could not be in love with _ . Someone from Daegu. No way it was possible, but Jungkook knew that he had seen something. Someone that could kill him if he felt like it? What about the biggest killer in Daegu? Kim Taehyung. They had a similar age and Jimin was someone that was into some weird  _ shit _ when it came to sex. Jungkook had seen and heard things that he wished he could erase from his mind. Unfortunately he couldn't.

His brother had fallen in love with a psychopath. This was bad, very bad. Was that the one who he was talking to on the phone? It would make sense. Seokjin would kill Jimin if he knew that he was having a romantic relationship with someone like Taehyung. This would explain why he was not afraid of Taehyung like Seokjin was. Why he got mad at his older brother for making them leave like that. Jungkook choked.

"Are you okay, baby boy?"

"Y-yes, go on."

"Well, he helped me a lot. Unlike father and Seokjin. Our dear brother left me to die in the hands of some dark people and this man was the one who saved me, who protected me."

"Do you," Jungkook was in pain, "love him?"

"Yes, Kookie. I do."

"Are you telling me this because you want me to choose you?" Jungkook lit a cigarette. "Choose to stay by your side?"

"If you wish to." Jimin smiled at him. 

"I won't,  _ hyung. _ I won't choose you nor Seokjin."

"Oh?" He tilted his head.

"I choose me." He exhaled a big cloud of smoke. "I don't trust either of you."


	7. TRUTH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Jungkook was sitting on the edge of his bed, his room rather empty. Jung-hwan was helping him put his bags in the car and he was just grabbing some minor things that he had forgotten to pack in the bags. He was heading for Seoul and the young man felt anxious. For the first time in his life he was going to be on his own. Rely solely on himself. It felt different, strange. Jimin and Seokjin had always shielded him from the outside world, so he was extremely clueless to what it meant to be alone. 

Still, Jungkook was ready. He needed to grow up fast and learn how to deal with the world he was now a part of. He had to learn about business, crime, politics, and death sooner than one would expect a person to do. Luckily, he would be accompanied by Jung-hwan for a few days until he was completely settled. His lessons had been going on strong and he was now being taught how to shoot. Jungkook had surprised his teacher with his skills- though he had never shot a real gun, he was a fast learner. 

He was now more used to the cold metal in his hand and would not flinch when Jung-hwan pointed his own gun at him. He had been practicing with Jin's old revolver and Jungkook had grown quite fond of it, so the gun was accompanying him to Seoul. A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts and he turned to face the person that entered the room.

Jimin had a soft smile on his face as he stared at his baby brother. They had not been the same after their last conversation and Jungkook could say that had grown distant, which made him sad. The elder strode down the room and sat down beside Kook, placing his hand on his thigh. He tugged gently and smiled as he stared at his own hand. 

"Be safe, Kookie darling."

"I will, hyung."

"I am going to miss you, baby boy. I truly am."

"Me too, hyung." He stared at his legs. 

His brother seemed bothered by something, but did not seem like he wanted to speak his mind. Jungkook did not pressure him. As he stared at his hands, he felt Jimin's hand hold his shoulders and he saw his brother hugging him. It was not weird to be hugged by him- it was something Jimin did a lot. Still, this time it felt strange. Kook could not feel any warmth from that hug and it was as if his brother was someone he did not even know. 

Jungkook was unsure why he felt in such a way, but it was the reality. There was no truth in that hug, no sentiments and Kook did not feel anything towards his brother. It was as if he had severed ties with a person he had loved for a long time.  _ Intense _ . He wondered if this was what it was like to have no feelings, to be numb. Was he becoming like Kim Taehyung? 

The young man shook his head and turned to face Jimin with a fake smile on his face. He knew his brother had caught up with the change, still he did not try to hide it. His brother's face was now serious as he got up and turned to face Jungkook, holding his face between his cold palms.

"You do what you have to do, Jeon Jungkook."

"I will, hyung."

"Since we have reached this point, I might as well let you know the truth." He smiled.

Jungkook felt something spike up in his head- this was bad. He arched an eyebrow and looked into Jimin's eyes- they had fire in them. It was the first time he saw that and it felt like he was seeing the true Jimin for the first time. Just as he once had seen Seokjin's true face, he was now experiencing that with Jimin. He was indeed a fox and everyone knows those animals are smart, extremely smart. Somehow, Jungkook felt as if everything his brother had done and told him up to his point was part of a game that he controlled. 

"Things are going to change, baby boy. And since you chose to stay neutral, I will have to put you on my naughty list. I will do what I have to do and if you interfere, I will sadly have to take you down. You get my point, don't you?" he held him tighter. 

Kook now had two options, cower and be scared of his brother or impose himself on Jimin. He truly was scared, but he knew this was an opportunity for him. A chance to show everyone that he was more than capable of being a part of this world. He removed Jimin's hands from his face and held his hand tightly, causing him to contort his face. Jungkook then rose to his feet and stared down at his older brother, putting on a sarcastic smile on his face. 

"Indeed they are, hyung." He held Jimin's hand tighter, making him flich. "Unfortunately, the fact we are family does not exempt you from anything. If you get in my way, I will have no other option than to get rid of you. Same goes for Seokjin." He was shaking inside, but did not let it show. 

"So manly." Jimin pulled his hands out of Jungkook's grasp. "Don't play a game you know nothing about, Kookie darling. You will certainly lose." He smiled as he turned and left the room.

Jungkook was alone again and his heart was racing. As soon as the door closed again, he let out a loud sigh that he had been holding ever since Jimin had entered the room. Things had taken a turn for the worse and he was now neck deep in a game played by some heavy players, Jimin being one of them. He needed to step up his game. 

Jung-hwan was waiting for Jungkook leaning against his car. He turned to face the young man and could instantly tell something was wrong. Jungkook had a red rim around his eyes and looked as if he could hit someone. He didn't even realize when his  _ hyung _ came closer and shook him. 

"What happened, Kook? Are you all right?"

"Yes, change of plans. I am driving my own car."

"You're driving?"

"Is that a problem?" he said in a dry tone.

"Not at all. I will put the bags in your car." Jung-hwan bowed as he turned to open the trunk. 

It was a long time before Jungkook said anything and, as soon as he did, Jung-hwan turned to look at him. He had shifted in his seat a few times due to Kook's driving. He was not a bad driver, but he was driving a bit too fast and Jung-hwan felt worried. 

"I will ask you things and you will answer, understood?"

"Kook..."

"Understood?" His tone grew colder. 

"Yes."

"Why is Seokjin in Japan?"

"I cannot say."

"I swear to god that I will kill us both if you do not answer my questions," he said between gritted teeth. 

"Jungkook, I do not know what happened to you earlier, but I am a loyal employee of your brother. You can kill me if you want, but I will not answer."

"Fine." He had given up "Is Jimin to be trusted?"

"No."

"Is Seokjin to be trusted?"

"No."

"Good."

Jungkook already knew that, but he needed to confirm it once and for all, and from someone that wasn't his family. Jung-hwan had been working for Seokjin for years and he knew everything there was to know. When he was younger, Jungkook loved to walk around with Jung-hwan hyung, because everyone would do anything for them. They would get free food, the best seats, free candy. For a child, that was awesome but as Kook grew up, he began to understand why people did that. They were afraid of him and his family. Now he understood it even better. 

"What is the family business?"

"Busan is a port city and some stuff needs to come from abroad." He cleared his throat. "We focus on weapons and drugs, but we have other sources of income too."

"Prostitution?"

"Your brother does not like that sort of business, other gangs deal with that and pay tribute." Jung-hwan was staring at the outside world. 

"Would you kill me if my brother asked you to?" He asked with a smile. 

"Yes." Jung-hwan did not look at him. 

Jungkook finished his interrogation and let the man be. He wanted to confirm his thoughts and he had enough answers for the time being. Kook would not bother his hyung again. His mind trailed off and now he remembered the day he met Jung-hwan and his brother, Jae-hwan. They went to play at the mansion and Kook was extremely jealous of his brother, who had friends to play with. 

The three of them were inseparable. Wherever Seokjin went, the brothers went with him. Even when Jin traveled abroad, father would send the duo with him. It was extremely weird, but Jungkook did not question. They would spend a lot of time at the house and they all slept in Seokjin's room. When the three of them were in highschool, Kook found out that whenever the trio slept together at the mansion, they would escape it late at night. 

Jungkook had always been a curious child and after he found out about that, he decided to follow them on one of those nights. They climbed over the fence at the back of the property and got onto their bikes, pedalling like they were late for something. Jungkook endured the pain in his legs, but managed to keep up with them. The four of them arrived at the shipyard and Jungkook hid behind a big wooden box. It smelled rotten, so he closed his nose and made a disgusted face. 

His brother and his friends dropped the bikes a bit further and were now staring at another group of young boys. They all seemed the same age and they were probably friends from school, or Jungkook thought. He could not hear what they were saying, only faint sounds. He stared at the scene in front of him as he kept hidden behind the smelly box. 

One of the boys, who seemed to be the leader, was smiling as he talked to Seokjin, but all of a sudden he pulled a knife out of his back pocket. Not only him, but all the boys beside him did the same. He could not see his brother's face but he imagined that he was just as terrified as him, or was he?

It all happened too fast, but the boy that was once smiling at Seokjin was now lying on the ground. Throat cut, convulsing as he held onto his bloody throat. The boy was spitting blood and lifted his hand towards Seokjin. He was asking for help. His brother held a knife in his hand, covered in blood. Jungkook shivered and covered his mouth as he gasped. His brother had just killed someone. The lifeless corpse was lying on the ground being stared at by the boys that once were aggressively threatening Seokjin and the brothers. They all had terrified looks on their faces. 

Quickly the trio pushed forward cutting and slashing every single person they laid their hands on. It looked like mere seconds, but now the three of them stood on top of a pile of corpses. Jungkook wanted to puke. He had just seen his brother kill people, not just people. Boys his own age that probably went to his school. 

He did not want to see this anymore, Jungkook hopped onto his bike and pedalled back to the house. Tears falling down his face. That night he could not sleep- everytime he closed his eyes he would see that dead boy's face. The terror in his eyes. It haunted Jungkook for a long time- still, he never told this to anyone. That was the day that he labelled his own brother as a psychopath. 

While Jungkook was lost in his thoughts, Jung-hwan had fallen asleep. He looked at the older man and let out a faint smile- he liked him a lot. More than he would ever admit and he knew Jung-hwan would hit him if he ever said anything soft and cute to him. That made him smile even more. Jungkook's stomach rumbled and made a loud noise, so loud that he thought it would wake his  _ hyung _ up. He looked at the GPS on his dashboard and could see a rest stop a few miles ahead. 

As he parked the car, he poked Jung-hwan with his index, waking the man. He shook his head and stared at Jungkook for a while, then he looked around as he realised that they had stopped at one of the rest stops. He shifted in his seat and looked at Jungkook.

"You stay here, I am going to buy some food," Jung-hwan said

"Pizza."

"What?"

"I want pizza," he said with a goofy smile. 

Jungkook reclined his seat rest and grabbed his phone. He was going to play some game he had on his telephone while he waited for his food to arrive. The game was some shooting game that he had been addicted to for the past weeks. He was deadly serious while he played the game, not a hint of his usual smiley face could be seen. Then the game was interrupted by a call. 

_ "Where are you now?" _

_ "Heading for Seoul." _

_ "Where is Jung-hwan?" _

_"Getting food."_ _  
__"Why didn't he pick up?"_

_ "He was sleeping."  _ Jungkook looked at the empty seat beside him. 

" _ He is not driving you?" _

" _ No, I took my car." _

_ "Why?" _

_ "Because I wanted to." _ He rolled his eyes and inhaled deeply. He knew Seokjin did not like this type of answer. 

_ "And who exactly do you think you are talking to?" _ Seokjin was mad.

_ "You tell me, Seokjin. Who exactly are you?" _ This was cringey and he felt like he had just spoken a bad line from a police drama. Still he had already said it. 

Seokjin laughed, like properly laughed. Jungkook was taken aback by the windshield laughter he heard ringing in his ears. Seokjin was not a person who even smiled, but now he was laughing so loudly that Jungkook had to distance his face from the phone. What was going on? 

_ "You ask as if you really want to know. But you don't, do you, Jeon Jungkook?" _ His tone was somber. 

_ "No, I really don't care anymore." _

_ "I thought so. Tell Jung-hwan to call me." _

As always, the call was disconnected and Jungkook was left with his phone in his ear. And he kept staring into nothing particular for a while- he had been caught in a daze. Jungkook did not know if this was caused by the laughter or because of what Seokjin had said. Still, he was far from reality.  _ Daydreaming.  _ He saw the convulsing boy who had his throat slit by Seokjin. Jungkook did not hear the knock on the window the first time, nor the second or third. By the fourth knock, Jung-hwan was already pissed and cold. Jungkook finally came back to reality and unlocked the door so the frozen man could get inside. 

"What took you so long?" he asked angrily.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something."

"Must've been something nice." Jung-hwan had a faint smile on his lips. 

"Not really. I was thinking about those boys you, Jae-Hwan and Seokjin killed in the shipyard," he said as he stared back into nothing in particular. 

Jung-hwan was surprised but did his best to control his expression. Jungkook could sense that he felt uncomfortable. He wanted to say many things, but this had been enough, more than enough actually. That single sentence turned the air inside the car even colder than outside. It had been frozen. 

"Don't worry, hyung, no one knows that I saw it. And I don't care. You were probably just obeying my brother's orders." Jungkook held the pizza on his lap. 

"I wasn't. That was the first time Seokjin killed someone."

Jungkook finally snapped out of his daze and turned his head to look at Jung-hwan. The man was eating a skewer of something that was coated in deep red sauce.  _ Spicy. _ He wasn't looking at Jungkook and it seemed that it was because he was ashamed. 

"Your father told me and my brother to take care of that situation. We were going to handle it quietly, but he told us to bring your brother. We were still going to handle everything, but as soon as we left we knew someone was tailing us." He inhaled deeply and exhaled with a loud sigh. "Not you. Someone from your father's people. Seokjin knew that and he knew that it was a test. So he did it. He killed that boy." He took another bite of the skewer. 

"Did he regret it?" 

"Yes. Your father used that boy's death to hit another boss in Busan. That kid's father." 

"You knew it?"

"Yes." He cleaned his mouth with a napkin. 

Jungkook's pizza had grown cold and it was still untouched. He did not even remember that it was sitting on his lap, but he eventually acknowledged it and took a bite. It was almost frozen. How long had Jung-hwan stayed outside? Jungkook stared at the pizza and it felt sad, just as his hyung seemed to feel as he told that awful story. Still he knew how loyal Jung-hwan was and that worried him. That hyung would kill him if he did anything to Seokjin and he knew it- he was an obstacle. 

"Seokjin asked you to call him."

"I'm aware. Thank you." He smiled at Jungkook. 

They finished their food and Jungkook started the car again, driving out of the parking lot. They still had a long way to go until Seoul and he began to wonder why he didn't just take the train. But then again having a car in Seoul was a good thing. His brother had taken care of everything for him and now he had an apartment waiting for him. 

His brother's phone call was a dead end. Jung-hwan would only answer with "yes, sir" and "no,sir" so Jungkok could not find out anything about their business. He had given up on trying to learn anything from the two of them.  _ Fuck it. _ They had their secrets and they were good at maintaining them. 

It was almost sunset when Jungkook finally parked the car at his new building garage. There was a specific spot for his car and he parked it easily. Jung-hwan helped him take his bags up to the apartment and after setting them where Jungkook had asked, he explained how things worked in the house and left. He had business to tend to. 

The apartment had 3 big rooms, a living room and an open concept kitchen. It was very modern and well decorated. Jungkook liked it. There was a master bedroom with a private bathroom, a guest bedroom and an office with a brand new computer and a gaming chair. His brother had spoiled him. But it just felt as if he was being bought.  _ Sigh. _ Jungkook went inside the master bedroom and put his bags on the floor.

After taking a long shower, Jungkook changed into something more comfortable and sat on the floor of the living room. The TV was on, but he wasn't really paying attention. As he stared at the colorful screen, he heard the doorbell. Jungkook wasn't sure who it could be, but it was probably just Jung-hwan. He didn't even bother to look at the camera and opened the door to welcome his hyung. It was not Jung-hwan.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so things are going to get a bit "weird" from now on. I swear that is important for the plot and for you guys to love/hate certain characters. 
> 
> Hint: the main couple still is Taekook ok?!


	8. STAR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT/VIOLENCE)

Jackson Wang was taking off his shoes as Jungkook stared at him with wide eyes. He had a small paper bag in his hands and, as soon as his shoes were off, he turned his gaze to Jungkook. 

"Jungkook-ssi, I take that you remember me." He offered the bag to Kook. 

"Y-yes."

"Good." He walked up to the couch and took a seat. "I was notified that you had arrived, so I decided to come pay you a visit." He smiled.

Jungkook had heard about how much of a bad guy Jackson was, so it was understandable that he was almost pissing his pants as he stood alone with him in that big empty house. Jackson had that kind of smile that meant he would be nice only until he did not feel like it anymore. 

"Well, Jungkook, why don't you go change into something more..." He looked at the boy from top to bottom. "presentable and join me for dinner?" his hand was pointing at the closed door. 

That man had never been in that house before, but he had just pointed at Jungkook's room. The room with a closed door. He knew that was his room, he knew his house. He had made that move deliberately- he wanted to scare Jungkook. It was as Seokjin once said, there is no safety in this life. Jungkook nodded and entered the room to change his clothes. A few minutes later he was back in the living room, ready to go out. 

Jackson turned the TV off and stood up, checking Jungkook again. It was uncomfortable. The man passed Kook and walked towards his shoes. Both men left the house and headed towards the elevator, Jackson leading the way. He was still smiling and Jungkook was starting to get annoyed by it.  _ Psychopath _ . He could deny the invitation, but still he was apprehensive. 

The elder man's car smelled like perfume and smoke- it smelled a bit too manly. It was smoldering. Jackson drove for a while and they finally stopped in front of a two storey establishment.  _ PpalganBelbet _ . The valet took the keys as he bowed to Jackson. The security guard by the entrance opened the door for them and they stepped into the place.

It was a very noisy club, but there was no one dancing. It was still pretty early for that. The colorful lights illuminated the place and Jungkook could see the staff cleaning up the floor and the tables as they waited for customers. The walls were made of some black shiny material that reflected the light, making it even brighter. It was overwhelming. More people bowed down to Jackson and Jungkook followed him up the stairs. He pushed a red velvet curtain aside and it was like they were in a completely different place. 

Only a few people were sitting down on black velvet armchairs with little coffee tables in front of them. As Jackson passed the groups of talking people, everyone turned silent and bowed to him. Right now, he was not far from a god. A god of war and people probably just feared him. He was powerful and he knew it, the smile not faltering for a second.

Jackson walked down the pathway between the sets of chairs and sat at a table by the window. The voices in the room had become quieter, but were still there. It was just shy of creepy. He took out a pack of smokes and lit his cigarette, staring at Jungkook. 

"Do you smoke?" He extended the pack of smokes. 

"Yes." Jungkook took one of the cigarettes and put it in his mouth."Thank you."

"Well, order anything you like. My treat." He lit the young man's cigarette.

"Thank you."

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Not at all. Ask away." Jungkook tapped on the filter, causing the ash to fall on the silver ashtray in the middle of the small table. 

"I assume that you've heard about me." Jungkook nodded. "Do you fear me?" Jackson smiled maliciously. 

"No, I respect you."

"Respect. Interesting. Why is that?" he leaned forward, curious. 

"Because you know more than I do and have been in this world longer than I have."

"Cute indeed." Jackson laughed. "You are political."

"You think so?" Jungkook smiled at the man. 

Jackson had looked to the side and quickly a young woman showed up to take their orders. Jungkook ordered a glass of whiskey and the other man asked for " _ the usual _ ", whatever that meant. 

"I know so. You see, I am very good at judging character." He exhaled a cloud of smoke. "And I like you, Jungkook-ssi."

Jungkook smiled at the answer and looked around the room. Jackson followed his gaze with amusement. Jungkook had never been in a place like that and he was admiring the surroundings- the place truly was beautifully decorated and seemed fancy. 

"Do you like women, Jungkook?"

"Yes, sir." This was a bit awkward but he kept calm.

"Good. Do you like men too?" Jackson was licking his lips, just like a snake.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, you are indeed amusing! Very flexible, huh?!" Jackson sat back in his chair, his fingers touching his chin. "It takes courage to admit that in this world, even though there are a lot of people who like it too."

"There are?" Jungkook arched an eyebrow. 

"Well, your brother enjoys it a lot." Jackson leaned forward again, a creepy smile forming in his face. "I can say it from experience." His hand was now resting on Jungkook's knee. 

He was extremely uncomfortable, but  _ damn _ this was exciting. Jackson was a true psycho, but here he looked so human. He looked  _ fun _ . Jungkook had to admit that this man had an appeal that very few people had and Jungkook was interested. Very much so. It was alluring, like the flame that draws the moth in and then burns it to a crisp. Jackson could be many things, mostly bad. But he was also interesting and seemed to be extremely smart. Jungkook knew that if he chose to be interested in this man, it would be dangerous.  _ Dangerous and exciting. _ Jungkook did not even realise, but he was biting his lower lip at the thought. Jackson seemed more than pleased. 

"Do you want to ask me anything?" The hand squeezed tighter.

"Can I?"

"You answered my questions, so it's only fair that I answer yours."

Fair. That was funny. Criminals talking about something being fair seemed almost like a bad joke. Still, Jungkook was intrigued. What could he ask the famous Jackson Wang about? 

"Do you like what you do?"

"Very much, it is..." He seemed to be thinking about it for a second. "Exciting."

The young woman came back with their drinks and Jungkook could not help but stare at Jackson's glass. It was a simple low, round glass but the liquid inside was something else. It was black, a very deep and lifeless black. It suited him. When Jungkook looked up, Jackson was staring at him with an amused smile. 

"You are so curious, it is cute. I used to be like that when I first started." He raised his glass and offered it to Jungkook. "Do you want to try it?"

Kook nodded and took the glass from Jackson's hand, he hesitated for a second but ended up taking a small sip. It was extremely bitter at first, but at the end there was a sweetness that was unlike anything he had ever tried. The liquid was a bit thick but it slid down so easily. That was  _ hot _ . Extremely hot actually, his body was heating up and his tongue was burning a bit. 

"What is this?" He stared at the glass. 

"Oh, just something I came up with years ago." He took back the glass and took a long sip. "You could say it is just like me." He retrieved his hand.

That was a given, but it was exciting. That black liquid was bitter and sweet at the same time. It was thick but in the end it slided into you like it was air and it burned. A  _ good _ burn. The kind of burning that you want to beg to continue. Jungkook was too into this- he was almost giving his soul to this man without even questioning it.  _ Fuck. _

Jackson was a snake. His venomous tongue would twist the truth and make it fit his own needs, make you believe that he was what you needed and that you should give yourself to him, no questions needed. He made it seem like he was the only person you could trust- he would slap then blow. That cool breeze would make you accept every single slap and yearn for that sweet little blow of air on the bruised skin.  _ So fucking hot. _

Jungkook was indeed sweating, probably because of Jackson's drink. The older man was staring, tongue on his lips and the youth lost himself in a daze. He was enjoying this too much, Jackson liked Jungkook and he could tell. He did not like it with pure intentions, but then again, this young man did not want purity. 

"Penny for your thoughts."

"Nothing much, I just really liked that drink."

Jackson looked to the side again and in no time the young lady was back. 

"One for him," Jackson looked back at Jungkook. "Weaker."

_ OH GOD. _

"Now, Jungkook-ssi, are you excited to work with us?"

"Yes, my brother told me very good things about you and Namjoon  _ hyung _ ."

"You shouldn't lie, puppy."

Puppy? What the fuck? And why did it feel  _ good _ to be called that? Jungkook was so screwed and he knew it. He knew Jackson was working his magic and this poor  _ puppy _ was falling for it. 

"No lies, he just told me you guys are good at what you do. I'm excited to learn from the best."

"So corny. I will teach you, trust me." Jackson lit up another cigarette. "Do you know what I do, puppy?"

Jungkook leaned in, stealing a cigarette from Jackson's pack of smoke that sat on the table. He lit the cigarette, eyes fixated on the elder. 

"You kill people."

"Oh, don't say it like that. You make me sound so..." Jackson liked his long pauses. "Soulless," he said at last.

Jungkook truly wanted to answer that, ask him if that wasn't the truth. But Jackson's phone rang. Instantly, his face changed into something darker. He was no longer the playful man that was once teasing Jungkook with his words- he was on business mode. He took his index and put it on Jungkook's lips, silencing him. That made his skin tingle. He silently took the call and listened for a few seconds. Jackson hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

"Sadly, I must end this fun little meeting. Come, I will take you home."

Jungkook nodded and put out his cigarette on the silver ashtray. They stood up and strode towards the door. There was still no one inside the club, but now the staff was no longer cleaning and the dance floor was just sadly empty. Jungkook wanted to come back when there were actual people there. He wanted to have  _ fun. _

Jackson didn't say much in the car, so it was a bit of an awkward silence. The inebriating effect Jackson had on him hadn't yet worn off and he was still drunk in lust. So he just took the time to stare at that man and imagine all of the most absurd scenarios in his head. He was completely sold, even though he knew this was the dumbest idea that had ever crossed his head. 

The older man stopped his car and Jungkook snapped out of his wet dreams. Jackson was looking at him with his head slightly tilted and a malicious smile on his lips. Jungkook stared back, swallowing hard. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, puppy. Make sure you get enough rest, ok?" his hand was now on Jungkook's thigh. 

"Will do." He reached for the handle. 

"Puppy?" Jackson called to him. 

Jungkook turned back and stared at Jackson, his face dangerously close. His palms instantly began to sweat and you could tell the boy felt desperate. 

"Let's do this again, ok?" Jackson had his malicious smile playing on his lips. 

Jungkook could not make a sound, just nod. And he nodded frantically, making him look crazy. That made Jackson laugh out loud. Jungkook felt like a stupid child and decided it was time to leave. He pulled the handle and exited the car. As soon as the door slammed shut, the black car left leaving a sad little puppy on the curb. 

He headed inside with difficulty, his legs were trembling out of control. As soon as he entered the apartment, they gave in and Jungkook fell on the floor with a thud. He was fucked. Truly and utterly fucked. How could he have felt that way towards a man that did what Jackson did. He was a sadistic psychopath that liked to kill people like it was no big deal. He remembered the graphic depiction Taehyung had given him on that infamous dinner.  _ Taehyung _ . The thought made his heart flutter but as quickly as it came, Jungkook forced it out. 

Was this becoming a fetish? First Taehyung and now Jackson. Jungkook really was fucked up, falling for sadistic psychopaths like it was a normal thing. This was way too wrong. He crawled into his room and climbed into bed. What the fuck had just happened? When did he become such a hopeless fuck? Jungkook had to figure out a way to solve this.

The alarm went off and Jungkook rubbed his eyes, trying to get used to the bright light in his face. He did not even remember going to bed, but there he was, dressed in the same outfit from yesterday and smelling like cigarettes. He got up with some difficulty and made his way to the bathroom. A cold shower would wake him up and it certainly did. Jungkook was shivering as he came back to the room and put on a fresh set of clothes. It was one of the sets that Jimin had bought him. His heart tightened. 

As he was styling his hair, his phone rang.  _ Unknown caller _ .

_ "Hello?" _ he asked in a suspicious voice.

_ "Puppy, I hate to wait." _

The call ended.

Jungkook froze. Jackson was there to pick him up and he was late. He ran as fast as he could and went down to meet the older man. Jackson had a blue suit and black sunglasses.  _ So hot. _ Jungkook walked towards him and bowed down. Jackson did not say a word and only started walking towards the elevator again. 

They went down to the garage and Jackson stopped as soon as he got out of the elevator. He turned to Jungkook and stared at the young boy. Jungkook swallowed hard. Jackson raised his hand and fixed the collar of his turtleneck, making Jungkook shiver with the unexpected touch. 

"I don't bite, calm down." He laughed as he walked towards his black Audi. 

Again, Jungkook froze. This man was more than he could handle, still there he was. Eyes filled with desire.  _ Shit. _ He began to walk again, with some difficulty. Jungkook got into the car and Jackson was again too close, his hand brushing against his. 

"First we are meeting Namjoon, then we are going to meet some other people. Bad people. Take notes ok, puppy?"

"Ok, sir." He managed to blurt out. 

"Please, call me  _ hyung _ ." His hand on Jungkook's thigh. 

The young man swallowed hard once more- this was becoming a habit of his. Jackson seemed to be having the time of his life. Teasing Jungkook was too much fun and he knew it - he was aware that Jackson was loving making him helpless. He knew the boy was a lost cause and it was a matter of time before he could swallow his prey.  _ Swallow. _ Jungkook swallowed hard again. 

They drove around for a while and finally arrived at what seemed like Namjoon's house. Jungkook got out of the car and followed Jackson through the black doors of the house. A big garden greeted them and the house stood imponent in the back. It was beautiful, even more than his mansion back in Busan. 

Jackson opened the house door, taking off his shoes and putting a white pair of slippers. Jungkook followed behind, changing into the fluffy slippers. The house was extremely big and very well decorated. There were so many paintings on the walls- Jungkook wanted to stand there and admire them all. 

They finally arrived at a set of double doors, Jackson did not knock and entered the room unannounced. Namjoon was sitting on one of the armchairs inside the study, reading a book. He lifted his eyes from the small green book he had in his hands and stared at both men with a subtle smile. 

"You have arrived, Jungkook-ssi! I am so glad that we have you here with us." He put the book down on the table. 

"Thank you, si- _ hyung _ " he stuttered. 

"Well, Jackson probably didn't tell you anything and now you have no idea of what we are going to do."

" _ Hyung _ told me we were going to meet some people." He looked at Jackson.

"Good, we are going to talk to some people that have done bad things. You don't have a weak stomach, do you?" He asked with a smile. 

"No, hyung."

"Good." The smile had become dark. 

They were back in Jackson's car. Namjoon had sat in the front, but from time to time Jungkook would see Jackson looking at him through the rear view mirror. It was unnerving. The older men were talking business and Jungkook did not pay much attention to what they were saying. Everything was about their clubs and restaurants in Seoul, until a topic forced him out of his thoughts and made him want to listen. 

"The drugs are being cut. Something is wrong," Jackson hissed. 

"Someone stole from me?" Namjoon was intrigued. 

"We are investigating. We still don't know if the problem is with the scouts or with the supplier."

"If it's the scouts, kill the bad seeds. Use a few as examples. Do as you please." Namjoon stared out the window. 

"And if it's the supplier?" Jackson looked at Jungkook. 

"I will talk to him," Namjoon hissed. 

Jung-hwan had explained that Busan was the place where the drugs came in, it was what his family specializes in. Guns and drugs. Could the supplier be Seokjin? Jungkook's head was spinning and he felt a bit of angst in his heart. He had seen the way his brother had treated Namjoon- that act meant that Namjoon was important. Stronger than him. This was bad. 

"Jungkook-ssi, do you have plans for tonight?" Jackson stared at him through the mirror. 

"No, hyung."

"Good, you are coming with me." Jackson was now facing the road. 

Soon they arrived in a run down building, it had a few business signs, but it seemed rather abandoned. Jungkook looked at both men as they made their way up the stairs. They walked up to the third floor and went down a hallway filled with trash and broken things. This place really looked abandoned. Who were they going to meet?

They eventually stopped outside one of the closed doors. Jackson pulled out his gun and attached a muffler to the muzzle. He pulled on the slide and made sure that the gun was ready to shoot. Something was going down and Jungkook was afraid of what he had gotten himself into. 

As soon as Jackson kicked the door, he took a shot and killed one of the men sitting inside the room. He shot him between his eyebrows.  _ Headshot.  _ Jungkook's stomach turned. Namjoon entered the room calmly, and strode to the center. The room was small and filled with trash. Two men sat on a couch by the door and a tiny man sat behind a broken white desk. He was smoking a cigarette and seemed unbothered by the man that had just been killed in front of him. The two men were clearly trying to reach for their guns, but Jackson just stared at them with a smile. It was all it took for them to give up. 

"Woo Sik  _ sunbae _ , long time no see," Namjoon said in a calm voice. 

Jackson walked across the room and picked up a chair. He set the chair in the middle of the room and Namjoon sat down calmly. 

"What the  _ fuck _ do you want Namjoon?" Woo Sik was still unbothered, not sparing him a look. 

"That's no way to talk to an old friend."

"Friend? If you say so."

" _ Sunbae _ , where is my star?" Namjoon stared at his hand.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He was still focused on his cigarette. 

Jackson pointed his gun and shot one of the men that was sitting on the couch. He slided off the sofa and fell to the floor, bleeding. 

"I am going to ask one last time,  _ sunbae _ . Where is it?"

"You  _ fucker _ ." Wook Sik finally looked up and was staring at Jackson, who was smiling.

Jungkook was leaning against the wall at the back of the room. What was a star? Was it a person? He felt nauseous and was on the verge of passing out. There was so much blood on the floor and there were two dead bodies in that room. One of them had his eyes opened and seemed to be staring back at Jungkook, a whole in his forehead. Jackson was brutal and sadistic, he seemed to be having fun killing those people.

Jungkook was staring at the dead man and he felt even more nauseous now. He was trying extremely hard to keep it in, praying this would end soon so that he could run somewhere to throw up. This was too much. 

"Fine, fine. I do not know where it is. Is your  _ bitch _ going to shoot me?" he arched his eyebrow as he stared at Jackson. 

Jackson had a disgusting smile on his face. He was having extreme fun and it seemed that he had taken that word as a compliment, making him happier. He looked at the man that was still sitting on the couch and pulled the trigger. Another person was dead. The corpse tilted down, lying on the couch while his head bled. The wall behind him was splashed in red and small pieces of brain.  _ Please. _

"I'm too tired to play this game, sunbae. You know what happens to those who try to screw me over." He got up from the chair. "It's never good."

Jackson walked forward, he put the gun down on the table beside him. He walked up to Woo Sik and held his neck tightly. He then proceeded to bang his face on the desk in front of him. The desk was not very clean to begin with, but now it was a mix of dirt, ashes and blood. A  _ lot _ of blood. He kept banging his head and raising it back up, non stop. 

When Jackson finally stopped, the face did not even look human anymore. The bones in his face were all broken, there were teeth missing and his eye sockets were swollen. He was just a blob of blood. He was certainly dead and Jackson let go of his neck. The head banged on the table convulsing for a while and then going completely still. He was dead. 

Namjoon sighed and walked towards the door, smiling at Jungkook. Jackson pulled out a small piece of cloth and started cleaning his hand. He walked up to his gun and picked it up. He had been smiling ever since they got into the room and the smile was still there.  _ Psychopath. _ He spared a look at Jungkook and walked out the door.

The boy could not hold it in any longer- he threw up. It was disgusting and he felt weak, but he needed it. He needed to put all that out. There was so much blood, so many corpses in that room. It was too much. He had one hand on the wall and the other was on his stomach, the fluids coming out. 

When he finally stopped throwing up, he cleaned his mouth with his sleeve and lifted his head. Jackson was leaning against the door frame. 

"Are you done, puppy?" He asked with an amused tone.

"Yes." Jungkook was breathless.

"Let's go, we have stuff to do." Jackson left. 

Jungkook followed behind, his stomach turning. They got back into the car and the young man could not make a sound. He was feeling weak. Namjoon and Jackson were back on the business talk, but Jungkook could not even listen. His head was spinning and he was trying hard not to pass out. 

They dropped Namjoon at an office building, apparently he had a meeting there with someone. Jungkook was now sitting in the front with Jackson and they were on their way to eat lunch at a restaurant nearby. It was a bit early, but it was probably because their afternoon agenda would not make it possible for them to eat later. They arrived at the restaurant - it was empty. 

Jackson sat down in front of Jungkook, the young man was still too pale. He poured water for him and pushed the cup in his direction.  _ Why the fuck was he still smiling? _

"First time seeing a dead body?" Jackson asked.

"No."

"Really? Doesn't seem like it," he said playfully.

Jungkook could not smile or answer any more. He was just tired and sick. Very sick. He had cold shivers running down his spine, non-stop. He really was on the verge of passing out but was trying hard not to. 

" _ Imo _ , the usual please." He spoke to the  _ ahjumma _ that was by the counter. 

Was he a regular everywhere? Jungkook drank the water and it made him feel a little bit better. He was regaining his senses and now could feel the nausea subside. Jackson had his head tilted and propped up in his palm. He stared Jungkook with a weird expression.

"Feeling better, puppy?"

"Yes."

"Good. Eat something, you look like you are about to pass out."

"I am." Jungkook closed his eyes. 

"So cute." Jackson pinched his cheek.

"I am?" Jungkook opened his eyes.

"After lunch, go home and rest. I'll pick you up at 7pm. Don't be late." Jackson did not answer Jungkook's question. 

\--

After lunch, Jungkook took a taxi home and fell onto his bed as soon as it was within his reach. He was exhausted. That whole murder scene had been too much. Jackson had been too much. But what did he expect from a sadistic psychopath like him? Just the way Jungkook likes them, psychotic. It was time to pass out. 

That afternoon, Jungkook dreamt about Kim Taehyung. 

  
  



	9. FLOWERS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT/TORTURE/DRUGS)

When the alarm went off, Jungkook sat up in his bed abruptly. Terrified. He was wet. Not just wet, he was dripping. What had he dreamed about? He could only remember someone torturing him. He was dangling from the ceiling like an angel, being held up by his waist. The room was spinning. Or was he? Who did that to him? Taehyung? Jackson? He was scared. 

He was feeling better from the sickness, but now he was scared because of that crazy dream he had had. He felt as if he was going crazy. Maybe it was because he kept running into crazy people. Jungkook shook his head and got out of his bed. He picked up his phone and checked to see if he had any messages. There were a few.

_ Seokjinie: Where are you? _

_ Seokjinie: Call me. Now. _

Jungkook was not in the mood to talk to his brother at this moment. If it was any other moment in his life, he would have called him the instant he saw the message. Actually, he would not even have missed a call from him. But now it was different, Jungkook did not care that much anymore. 

He scrolled down. 

_ Jung-hwan hyung: Kook, call me please. _

_ Jung-hwan hyung: And call your brother. Urgently.  _

He chose to ignore the threats from Seokjin and give Jung-hwan a call. He was in Seoul and probably had come looking for Jungkook and did not find him. Kook understood that the man could get a bit apprehensive. He pressed the call button. 

_ "Jung-hwan?" _

_ "Finally, Kook. Where were you? Have you called your brother?" _ He seemed relieved.

_ "I was with Namjoon and Jackson. They were showing me stuff about the business." _

_ "Ok. And your brother?" _

_ "I haven't called him yet. I'll talk to him later." _ Jungkook tried to show his contempt in his tone. 

_ "Kook, call him now. Please." _

_ "Fine." _ He rolled his eyes. 

Jungkook ended the call and sighed. He really did not want to talk to Seokjin, because he knew his brother would say something unpleasant. Even though he knew he had to call his brother, he was hesitant and annoyed. He found his brother's number on his phone and pressed the call button. 

_ "Where the fuck were you?" _ Seokjin was angry.

_ "Out and then I slept in." _

_ "Don't fuck with me Jeon Jungkook. Out where? With whom?" _

_ "Out with Jackson and Namjoon."  _ He did not feel like giving out too much information.

_ "Doing?" _ The calmer the tone was, the worse it was for Jungkook.

_ "You would not believe me if I told you." _ A creepy smile on his lips. 

_ "Are you being rebellious?" _ You could hear the smile forming on Seokjin's lips. 

_ "Yes." _ Jungkook would not beat around the bush. 

_ "Will I have to go to Seoul to teach you a lesson?" _

_ "Come if you want. It won't change a thing." _ Jungkook felt like a brat. Maybe he was. 

_ "You are being way too disrespectful. You intend to keep this up?" _ His tone was somber. 

_ "Am I? Tough shit. You were the one that sent me here, so you should face the consequences of your own actions." _ Jungkook was seriously annoyed. 

_ "Don't forget that you are not playing with little kids like you. These people are not your highschool buddies." _

_ "Wouldn't know about that- did not have any." _ Jungkook was just pushing now. 

_ "Do as you please, Jeon Jungkook. But do not forget that there are consequences to your actions." _ Seokjin was mad. Very mad. 

Jungkook was being a spoiled little brat and ended the call before his brother had the chance to say anything else. This would come to bite him in the ass and he knew it. Still, he did not care. Not right now. He wanted to learn and he wanted to become someone that could survive in this world without relying on anyone else. It was a miracle that he had survived this far. Now that he had gotten a taste of this life, he wanted to hold onto it for a while longer. The taste was just too good to just leave like that. He was feeling like a drug addict and this life had become his new drug. 

He was already up and had to change into something so that he could go meet Jackson. It was almost 7pm and he did not want to be late again. He took a quick shower and changed into some new clothes, all black. He felt as if this color matched his mood. And it also reminded him of Jackson's drink. He wanted to taste that drink again. Or did he want Jackson? Either was good. 

Just before 7pm, Jungkook went down and sat down in the lobby. The chair was extremely uncomfortable, but he sat there while he waited. He saw the black Audi pull up at the entrance and walked leisurely towards it. The door was unlocked and he entered Jackson's car, putting on the seatbelt. 

"Early. I like that, puppy." Jackson had a smile on his face. 

Jungkook took the praise and it was like he was wagging his tail.  _ Happy puppy _ . This nickname had become his new favourite thing and every time he heard it, he smiled with his whole body. The smile was hidden from anyone else, but Jungkook. Oh, he was loving this new life. The freedom. The intensity. Jungkook nodded to Jackson as the elder pulled into the street. 

"We are going to do some bad things. Can you handle it?"

"Yes, hyung."

"Good boy." Jackson sounded pleased. "Is blood ok with you?"

"I think so. What are we going to do?" Jungkook was curious.

"Do you want me to teach you how to make people talk?"

"I do."

"Oh baby, you are killing me." Jackson was excited. "How can someone be this cute?" he pinched Jungkook's cheek again. "We are going to send a little message. Nothing much."

"A message?" Jungkook was confused and a bit scared.

"Yes. Make sure people don't misbehave." His smile grew dark. "I hate it when people don't follow the rules."

Jungkook heard some knocking coming from the trunk. He turned his head and stared at the back seat, trying to hear it again. The young man was suspicious and now he had gotten a little scared by what Jackson meant when he said he would send a message. Jackson's hand came back to Jungkook's thigh and he squeezed hard, making the youth flinch. He turned his head and stared at Jackson with a bit of surprise. 

"Don't mind him." The hand squeezing tighter. "He is just mad he couldn't ride shotgun." He laughed out loud. 

They drove for a while and then Jackson pulled up onto a construction site. It was an apartment complex that was being built. The building was almost complete. As soon as they entered the lot, Jungkook saw a parked car and a man was leaning against the trunk. Jackson parked the car and they both exited the vehicle. This man was handsome. 

"Min Ho, you're already here. Good." Jackson greeted the man with a slight bow. 

"Yeah, yeah. I came all the way from Incheon. You’d better work your magic, Wang." Min Ho was impatient. 

"Don't I always?" Jackson had a smirk on his face. Confident. 

"Who's the kid?"

"Oh, him? This is Jeon Jungkook, Kim Seokjin's youngest brother. He's my.." Jackson sized Jungkook for a second. "Apprentice."

Min Ho did not say a word, but sighed after Jackson's long pause. He was a bit dramatic at times, but it fitted him perfectly. The man inside the trunk made himself heard again. This time louder. It sounded as if he was kicking the trunk with all his might. What was going on? 

Jackson and Min Ho walked up to the Audi's trunk and Jackson unlocked it. Inside there was a naked young man. His mouth was taped and he had his hands and legs tied up with zip ties. As soon as his eyes fell on Jackson, he stopped moving. It was as if he knew that he was done for. This could be called the " _ Jackson effect _ ". Everyone knew the man was a psycho with a taste for blood. He liked to inflict pain. So if you were standing in an empty construction site at night and Jackson's face greeted you, death was certain. 

Min Ho pulled the young man out of the trunk and put him over his shoulder leading the way. Jackson followed, eyeing Jungkook. He was scared, but he would not dare to let the other one know this. They entered the unfinished building and walked up to the 5th floor. Kook felt a little breathless. 

They walked down the hall and stopped outside one of the doors. Jackson pushed the door open and Min Ho entered, putting the man on the ground. As soon as Jungkook entered, Jackson turned on the lights and he was now looking at a scene from a horror movie. The floor was covered in transparent plastic and there was some sort of restraint stuck on the wall. It looked like one of those sexual dungeons like cross position restraint. Was that leather? Jungkook knew that this would be gruesome. 

"Jungkook-ssi, can you pass me that bag please?" Jackson had extended his hand. 

Kook looked to his left and saw a black duffle bag on the ground. As he picked it up he realized that it was extremely heavy. What was in there? He did not bother to ask- something told him that he would soon find out. Min Ho picked up the man again and cut his zip ties, Min Ho was strong and the boy did not try to escape. He lifted the boy’s arms and locked them in place. Leather cuffs biting into the skin. He spread his legs and they were also restrained by the cuffs. 

He was a standing  _ X _ . Min Ho shook the cuffs and made sure he would not cut loose. As if he could. The man was crying and trying to say something, the tape on his mouth making it impossible. 

Jackson walked up to the man and stared at him intently. 

"This might hurt, baby." He pulled the tape off the boy's mouth. 

"Ugh..." the boy sobbed. "Please Mr. Wang! I didn't do anything! I swear!" He pleaded.

"I know baby. I know." Jackson caressed his face. It was covered in snot and tears. "But I have to make sure people follow the rules, don't I?" He stood up.

"Please! Please, sir! Don't do this!" The boy begged. 

The same hand that caressed that young man's face, now slapped it hard. So hard it was swollen. The boy grew silent. Jackson was looking at him with a serious face. Jungkook thought that Jackson would keep his smile at a moment like this, but the man seemed focused and had no intention to smile anymore. This was going to be a hard lesson and Jungkook did not know if he could handle it. Jackson turned to him. 

"Jungkook-ssi, I will teach you a few things." He pushed the bag with his foot. "Please pay attention."

"Yes, hyung." Jungkook managed to blurt out. 

"Good. First of all, this is not about killing a person. It's about making him understand what he did wrong and why he is in this situation." Jungkook nodded. "Second, I hate silence. So I have to make sure the person is responsive to answer my questions."

He kneeled again and opened the bag. He pulled out a rolled up piece of fabric and put it on the ground. Jackson pulled the string that kept the fabric together and rolled out a set of tools. His tools. He pulled out a second roll, untying it and spreading the contents. This time there were a series of needles and small medicine bottles. Jungkook stared at them for a second. 

Jackson pulled out one of the needles and a small bottle. He filled the injection up to a certain point and gave it a little squeeze. Transparent liquid seeped out. He walked towards the man and pulled his neck to the side. His veins were popping out and Jackson had no trouble injecting the liquid into it. 

"This is Tranexamic acid, just a tiny amount is enough." He took out the needle. "This will prevent him from bleeding out, which is very important for our work."

By this point the boy was bawling. It was extremely annoying to have someone screaming in that tiny room, but Jackson did not seem to mind. Jungkook remembered what Taehyung had said about him. He liked it when people screamed. The man handed the needle to Min Ho, who was leaning quietly against the wall. He disposed of it in a small black bag. 

"Now that we made sure our subject will not bleed out so easily, it's time to start." Jackson kneeled and grabbed one of the surgical scalps he had in his tools. "Have you ever heard about  _ Lingchi _ , Jungkook-ssi?"

Jungkook had no idea what that was. It was probably some sick method of torture that Jackson liked to use with the small fish. The "angel torture" was probably for those who were important. It did seem like it was an awful amount of work just for getting some information, but Jackson made this seem like it was art. 

"No, hyung." Jungkook admitted his ignorance. 

Jackson turned back to the boy and stared at him intently. He came forward and put the scalp close to his face, twisting and turning with dexterity. Jungkook was silently scared, he did not mind the scalp, but Jackson was unpredictable and he could easily become one of his victims. This was _ sick. _

"Well, let me give you some historical background." He smiled and Min Ho rolled his eyes. "Lingchi is an art. It dates back to 7th-century China and it was a form of torture. A beautiful one."

Jungkook hummed. Jackson turned and strode towards the bound young boy.

"Lingchi translates to " _ death by a thousand cuts _ ". Interesting, right?"

Min Ho sighed and rolled his eyes again. He probably had heard this many times before and was impatient. He wanted answers and not a lesson about ancient Chinese forms of torture. Jungkook nodded again and Jackson seemed extremely pleased. Still, no smile. 

"You start at the torso and work your way up to the arms and then the legs." He made a cut just above the boy's ribcage, making the boy scream in pain. "Making sure the cuts are not too deep. Yet." 

He cut him. He literally cut that kid. One cut after the other, slowly. He was screaming and Jungkook just wanted to shut up that boy. He wanted to silence him.  _ STOP SCREAMING.  _ It was maddening and he did not understand how Jackson would like to hear someone scream like that. Did he get off by the screaming?

There were at least 30 cuts on the boy's skin, before Jackson stopped. Blood dripping on the plastic. Jungkook was rather amazed. He thought the man would be bathed in blood and the plastic would have become a red pool by now- however, it was far from that. 

"Baby, who is cutting my drug?" He asked gently.

"I-I-I don't know, sir. Puh-Please." The boy was screaming for his life. 

"If you do not answer, I am not going to stop." The scalp scratching the skin again. "You want me to stop, don't you?"

The boy just cried, but did not answer. Jungkook could see he was hiding something. Was it worth it? He was probably in excruciating pain and still he did not tell Jackson what he wanted to know. He knew the man was going to continue and yet, he did not respond. The scalp cut the skin again, now on the opposite side. Thirty more cuts were made and the same question came up again. Still no answer- only screaming. 

More and more cuts were made. The once transparent plastic was now red. Deep red. The boy was starting to lose consciousness and Jackson knew it. He stepped away from the boy and kneeled down by the bag. Another needle and another bottle with some transparent liquid. 

"Jungkook-ssi, remember this," Jackson turned to him. "Watch out for major arteries and blood vessels. This would only make the process go faster and we do not want that."

Jungkook nodded in agreement. 

He proceeded to inject the liquid into the boy's veins and it was weird. The young man's eyes were now wide open, pupils dilated. It seemed as if Jackson had injected him with some sort of drug, something to keep him awake. What was that?  
"Amphetamine." Jackson seemed to have heard Jungkook's thoughts. "Keeps you awake and heightens the senses. Thrilling."

He gave the needle to Min Ho, who did the same thing as before. Still unbothered by the whole scene. He probably had already grown used to Jackson's way of handling things. Min Ho just stood there like this was nothing, just child's play.  _ Soulless motherfucker _ . 

The boy was screaming even louder as Jackson made cuts in his stomach. He was a bloody mess but was still uncooperative. Jungkook turned to look at the small window on the side of the room and that was when he heard it. A blood curdling scream. He looked back at the boy and Jackson was now using a bigger scalp to cut into the skin. Removing the skin from his chest and reaching the muscle. 

He repeated the procedure twice, both patches of skin falling to the ground. The muscles exposed and you could see them pulsing. The boy shook as he tried to break free from the cuffs. It was a dead end. The same question was being asked over and over, but Jackson was not getting the answer he wanted. He moved from the skinless torso to the boy's arms. 

First, insane amounts of tiny little cuts, that went up and down his arms. No answer. He then proceeded to cut the boys muscles under his armpits. The arms were almost detaching from the body itself, you could faintly see the bone. The screams only grew louder and more desperate. 

"Baby, I know you are in pain." His hand caressing the boy's face. "Let me end it for you. Answer me and I will not cause you any more pain. You'll be free."

The boy lifted his head, he seemed to be out of his mind but still there. Feeling everything. He stared at Jackson for a few seconds and then his gaze turned to Jungkook. He swallowed hard. It was like he was saying he was sorry. Why would anyone do that? 

"F-f-fine." His head dropped down. "A man. Approached. Us. On the street. He. Gave us. A lot of money. 10k each." The boy paused to breathe. 

"Yes?" Jackson tilted the boys head up. "Keep going, baby. You are doing so well."

"He told. Us. To sell. The drug. He gave us." He paused for a while. "He. Had. A. Busan. Accent," he finished and Jackson dropped his head. 

"Oh, did he?" Jackson looked at Jungkook, smiling. "Good, baby. You did well."

Jungkook was shaking. The smile was back. This was not good. What the fuck did that boy mean by a Busan accent? Jackson was clearly thinking the same thing as him. This was bad. This was  _ very _ bad. Jungkook knew exactly what that boy meant by a Busan accent. He meant someone from the Kim family. If not his brothers, then it was someone who worked for them. This meant Jungkook was utterly fucked. 

"Jungkook-ssi," Jackson had turned and walked up to him. "Please, end this boy's misery." Jackson handed him a long knife.

"WHAT?" The boy screamed at Jackson. "You! You promised! You promised you would let me go! YOU PROMISED!"

"No baby, I did not." Jackson looked over his shoulder. "I told you I would stop hurting you and I would set you free. Death is a form of freedom and he will give it to you." Eyes back on Jungkook. 

Jackson looked at him with expectant eyes and the young man stared at the knife in front of him. The young boy was screaming while he tried to break free from the cuffs. The arms were almost falling off as he pulled on the leather. Jungkook stared at Jackson, desperate. He held a knife and the elder was expectant. Kook was going to have to kill that boy. 

Jungkook's eyes rested on the boy and he was shaking. Jackson held his hand. It was as if he was going to guide him through the whole procedure. Jungkook could not back away from this, he would have to stab that boy with that shiny knife. 

"Jungkook-ssi, where do you want to plant this knife?" Jackson asked, amused. 

"Heart." Jungkook's voice was trembling.

"Oh, romantic?" Jackson had fire in his eyes. "I like it."

Jackson was standing behind Jungkook, pushing the boy forward. The young boy's screams breaking into his skull, seeping into his bones. He positioned Jungkook in front of the bleeding boy and helped him raise his hand. The knife was pointing at one of the skinless patches in the boy's torso. This was brutal.  _ Sadistic _ .

The red muscle was pulsing, blood seeping out of it. He could not look that boy in the eyes and his head was focused on the blood falling down. So much blood. The boy shook as he tried to break free. Jungkook wanted to release him, but he couldn't. Jackson would kill him if he tried. It was his life or the young boy's. He chose himself.  _ Selfish. _

Jungkook raised his hand and now the knife was even closer to the skin. Just a few inches and it would cut into the boy, through the muscles and into the heart. Jackson was breathing on Jungkook's ear, the heat making him tremble. Jungkook thought that in a moment like this, he would want to throw up. Run away. Pass out. The problem was that he wanted to kill that boy. He wanted to end a life. Jungkook wanted to taste death. Smell the odor Taehyung had spoken of. The scent of death. Was it sweet? 

His hand leaned forward and Jackson pushed together with him, giving more strength to the blow. The knife cut through and was embedded in the young boy's heart. He convulsed and blood seeped out of his mouth. Spit and blood fell to the floor. Jungkook let go of the knife and the boy's head dropped. He was dead. Kook stepped back and his eyes were wide, mouth agape. 

"Jungkook-ssi!" Jackson clapped. "You did such a good job, good boy!"

Something was off. Jungkook liked the praise. The man smiled. He  _ liked _ the feeling. He felt he had made someone proud and could now collect his treat. The young man did not feel nauseous nor like he was about to pass out. He felt  _ good _ . He felt pleasure. This was fucked up. Too fucked up. 

And then it hit him. Had he become insane? No way. It was truly impossible. Jungkook looked around the room frantically. He was too shocked and wanted to find it. Where is it?  _ WHERE IS IT? _ He was insane, that was certain. He had finally become a crazy person. Where was it coming from? Jackson seemed to notice the odd behaviour.

"Did you hear something?" Jackson had arched an eyebrow.

"Can't you smell it?" Jungkook was still turning his head, looking everywhere.

"Smell what?" Curiosity in his tone. "Blood?"

"No!" Jungkoook looked at the dead boy. "The flowers."

  
  



	10. INFORMATION

When Jungkook stepped out of the building into the empty lot, the sun was rising. Darkness had been replaced by a faint golden light that illuminated the path in front of him. The young man had no color on his face, gloomily pale. There was not a single trace of emotion in him and his eyes were devoid of life. If he was not walking right now, anyone would say that he was a corpse. 

Min Ho had stayed behind to deal with the dead body, cleaning the scene and making sure there was not a single trace of evidence. That boy would be forgotten in a moment and there was nothing Jungkook could do about it. He was the one that had done it. Kook had ended a life and now his hands were forever stained with blood. 

All the innocence had vanished. He was now more than part of that world and Jungkook did not know what to do with his new found maturity. But there he was- a murderer. Jackson strode across the lot, reaching his car in no time. Jungkook was walking slowly, his steps extremely heavy. He was lost in his own thoughts, self hatred and mixed feelings. The young man was trying to understand why he felt good when he was praised, why he smelled that awful sweet scent of flowers. 

Jungkook was now laughing. Jackson stopped walking and turned to look at him. Jungkook was laughing out loud, like an insane person. He felt the elder coming closer and raised his head. 

"Is something funny?" Jackson was serious. 

"I think I am losing my mind." Jungkook admitted

"Puppy, it's okay." He put a hand on Jungkook's shoulder. "It's not easy to take a life, but I'm proud of you. So proud."

"You are?" He was confused. 

"Why wouldn't I be? You were so brave." The hand squeezing his shoulder. "I did not think you could do it. But you did and now I can trust you."

"You can?" Jungkook could not say anything else. 

"How could I not trust my obedient little puppy?" He hugged Jungkook closer and put his lips near the boy's ear. "I will not let anything bad happen to you, my beautiful baby boy."

Jungkook melted in that embrace. He heard what he wanted to hear and it felt warm. He needed that hug and he needed to feel that he mattered to someone. Jackson was a snake and he knew that, but now he was sold. He felt that every single muscle in him was screaming desire. He wanted Jackson. He needed him. He had found his drug and he yearned for a dose. 

Jackson dropped Jungkook in front of his building and he soon made way to his apartment. The feeling of longing taking over him as soon as Jackson left him. He felt weird.  _ Dirty _ . This was not a random thought anymore- Jungkook knew that he had created some sort of feeling for that man. That was absurd. 

He pressed the numbers on the keypad and the door unlocked. He stepped in and sat down on the ground to take off his shoes. When he managed to get them off he entered the apartment and fell to the ground again. Jung-hwan was in the kitchen making coffee and startled Jungkook, making him fall to the ground. Hand clenching his chest. 

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Jungkook was mad. 

"Where have you been, Jungkook?"

"Out." He finally managed to get up again. "Are you going to tell me why the fuck you are in my house?"

"Out where?" Jung-hwan stared at him with a blank expression. 

"It's none of your business. I do not need to explain myself to you." Jungkook stepped closer. "Get the  _ fuck _ out!" He growled. 

Jung-hwan was calm, but he had pinned Jungkook against the wall. Elbow on his throat, making it hard to breathe. He was looking the young man in the eye, indifference in his face. Jungkook tried to break free but to no avail. Jung-hwan was stronger than him. 

"I'm just gonna say this once, Kook." Choking him harder. "Get your shit together. I'm not your little buddy, so don't think you can talk to me like that."

Jungkook tried to say something, but he couldn't. The hold on his neck had made it impossible for him to produce a single word, breathing was almost impossible by then. 

"You are hanging out with people that are not the nice guys. Shit, we're not the nice guys either. Still, we have moral standards. They don't." Jung-hwan was angry. 

Jungkook budged again and made the grip on his throat loosen. The air finally rolled back in. He was staring at Jung-hwan, laughing. A croaky laughter due to the lack of air in his lungs. The elder looked at him, scared by what he saw. He grabbed the older man's arm, bending it back. Jung-hwan had no choice other than to let go. 

Kook did not let go of his arm and forced it back even harder, making the man kneel down. Jung-hwan was genuinely scared. That was what Jungkook wanted. This was for the best. 

" _Hyung_ , I'm just gonna say this once and I hope you get it the first time." He lowered his head closer. "I'm not my brother."

Jungkook licked his lips and put on a sinister smile. This was getting way too fucked up and he knew it. Still he had to continue. Jung-hwan had to believe that Kook had turned into a crazy fucked up psychopath. 

"You are strong and scary. You truly are." He leaned closer, his face only a few inches from Jung-hwan. "But you are certainly not scarier than the people I am hanging out with."

Jungkook let go of his arm and stood up straight, walking towards the dining table. He calmly sat down, his gaze never leaving Jung-hwan. 

"It would be a pity if I told them that you are bothering me. Imagine what they would do to you." He shook his head, smile fixed on his lips. "I think it would be best if you headed back to Busan and let me live my life. You would live longer if you did."

His _hyung_ was now standing again The sadness in his face was tangible. He was scared by what Jungkook had become in just those few days. He bowed down to the youth and left the apartment like nothing had even happened. Jungkook's heart sank. 

He had just tried to save his friend's life, but it hurt him so bad. Ever since he heard that young boy say that the accent of the mysterious man was from Busan, his mind was on Jung-hwan. If Jackson decided to kill him, there was nothing Jungkook could do about it. He had to protect him, he had to be certain that Jung-hwan would go back to Busan and stay there. The further from Seoul, the better. 

The boy was now on his knees in the middle of his apartment. He was sad, but he couldn't cry. Why couldn't he cry? Where were the tears he was so familiar with? This was bad and Jungkook knew it. He wanted to blame it on the exhaustion and the stress, but he knew that it was something else. Something worse. He grabbed his phone. 

_ JK: Tell Jung-hwan to go back to Busan. He is no longer needed. This is not a request.  _

Jungkook did not expect to receive a response so early in the morning, but there he was. Staring at Seokjin's text. This was going to be bad. 

_ Seokjinie: And who do you think you are to think that you have a say in that? Last time I checked, he worked for me.  _

_ JK: Jackson will be thrilled to know that he is going to stay in Seoul for a little longer. Just a little.  _

_ Seokjinie: What the fuck have you done?  _

Kook did not answer his brother. He couldn't. The phone rang non-stop but he did not pick it up either. This was for the best and he knew it. Jung-hwan was safer in Busan- it was his territory- and in Seoul there were too many variables that would cause his death. Jackson was one of those. Even though Jungkook had his feelings, his brain was still functional. He knew the man was a psycho and he knew that he would probably kill Jung-hwan now that he had learned what Jungkook had too. The man was from Busan and he was messing with Namjoon's business. 

Jungkook was not safe either. He was now stuck in Seoul with no possibility of leaving. Namjoon would not let him and he would probably be used so people could get to his brother. He remembered the boy Seokjin had killed. His father used his own son to kill that boy in order to strike that boy's father. This world was ruthless. 

**\----** **_DECEMBER_ ** **\----**

A couple of months had passed and Jungkook was now living completely alone in Seoul. Jung-hwan had left the city and he hadn't spoken to his brother ever since he had warned him that Jung-hwan would die in Jackson's hand. Maybe one day he would be able to tell him the truth.

Jungkook was now staring at the bookshelf in Namjoon's library. It would go up to the ceiling with countless books about the most diverse subjects. Kook loved that room- it was always so peaceful and quiet. It was one of the few places in which he could feel calm. This city was a mess and everytime he walked out of that room, he and Jackson would have to take care of something gruesome and intense. Life outside of the library was just too sad. He snapped out of his daze as soon as he heard the doors open. 

"Why is it that whenever we come here, I know you will find your way to this room, puppy?" Jackson was smiling as he strode towards Jungkook. 

"You know I like it here."

"I do." His fingers brushed through Jungkook's hand. 

The young man had grown used to Jackson being like that. He loved to touch Jungkook and he had stopped caring about it. There were the occasional out of bound touches that would make him warn the elder that he had crossed the line. But most of the time, Jackson would touch him lightly with his fingers. Jungkook liked that, so he never made the man stop. It was a routine.

Jackson's fingers made their way up, brushing through the shirt and finally resting on Jungkook's neck. Choking him. This was him making sure he was in control and Jackson liked that. The elder had a dominant personality and would always remind Jungkook that he was his puppy- he would take what was given to him. This had also become something he did not care much about. It was just a normal event in his daily life. 

"You like that, don't you, puppy?" He leaned closer.

"I do." Jungkook smiled at him. 

"Good." Jackson loosened the grip. "Let's go. We have work to do."

"Blood?" Jungkook's tone was bland. Blood did not bother him anymore.

"No." Jackson sounded disappointed. "We have to welcome some guests."

Jungkook nodded and followed the other man out of the library, looking back at it while he closed the door. He was always sad to leave. He looked at the paintings on the walls as they walked out of the house and back into their car. Jungkook sighed. Jackson could see that the young one was bothered by something and turned to him. 

"Anything bothering you, puppy?" Jackson could sometimes sound as maternal as Jimin. Jungkook did not like that. 

"Tired, that's all." He put on his seatbelt. "Who are we meeting?" 

" _ Wang _ Min." Jackson said with disgust in his tone. 

Jungkook froze.  _ Wang _ Min was none other than Min Yoongi, the king of Daegu. He owned that city and everyone knew he liked to be treated like a king.  _ Arrogant fuck _ . It had been months since Jungkook had met him and his psychopath of an assistant, Kim Taehyung. Now he was on his way to see Yoongi and he knew Taehyung would be there by his side. The day had gotten even more shitty. 

They were less than two weeks away from the annual end-of-year Family meeting and Jungkook had been working around the clock to make sure everything would go smoothly. Making sure the location of the meeting was completely safe, paying the police to make sure nothing happened to any of the Family members while they were in Seoul, having meetings with the smaller  _ kkangpae _ bosses so that they knew they weren't supposed to cause any trouble during that period. 

Alongside all those things, he and Jackson still managed to make time to kill people that were causing trouble. They were still trying to find the man from Busan that was messing with their drug and they could not find a single lead on that. Namjoon had been spending a lot of money trying to get information from people, but still it would always be a dead end. 

One could imagine how much stress Jackson was in and he never even blinked before lashing out on Jungkook. His body was covered in bruises, a few of his bones had been broken more than once and his neck had to be covered at all times. Jackson liked to use his hands to choke someone, but he also liked wires and ropes. Jungkook knew it very well. Still he stood by his side like none of that mattered. Truth is it really didn't. 

Jungkook had been getting less than 4 hours of sleep at night and he knew that this was taking a toll at him. His muscles were always tense, his head would always act up and cause a migraine, and at times he would space out, making other people have to shake him out of his daze. It all had been just a bit too much. But he did not dare to complain, mostly because he did not have anyone to talk to. 

After a while, they arrived at a fancy hotel and Jackson gave his keys to the valet. Everyone always bowed down to him, but now they would also bow to Jungkook. He had made a name for himself in the past months and now people would respect him too. Fear him. The feeling was always good. Jungkook liked that people did not mess with him anymore. He was...respected. 

Once they were in the elevator, Jackson turned his head to Jungkook and used his thumb to pull the collar of his turtleneck down. The purplish line contoured his neck and the sight made Jackson smile. He let go of the young man's collar and stared ahead. Jungkook did not even spare him a look, staring at the door. 

"Sorry about last time." He giggled. "I went a bit too far." 

"It's okay." Jungkook's tone was as bland as it could be. 

"I'll make up for it." Jackson grabbed his hand, raising it up to his mouth and kissing his knuckles. "Come by my place later and I will give you a massage, ok, puppy?"

Jungkook only nodded and Jackson let go of his hand. This was nothing out of the ordinary. He had received a lot of massages from Jackson, some of them almost went a bit too far. Both men would flirt from time to time, the elder more than the younger one. Much more. But nothing had ever happened between them. It was a line Jungkook never had the guts to cross. He desired Jackson with what was left of his soul, but he could not give into his desires. If he crossed that line, there would be no return and Jackson would own him entirely. 

He knew he could not let that happen, even though Jackson had tried very hard to persuade him. Jungkook had almost given up once, when he drank more than one glass of Jackson's infamous drink. But before they could do anything bad, he passed out on Jackson's couch. When he woke up, the only thing he felt was relief. 

The doors opened and they exited, walking onto the 17th floor. They walked up until a certain door and Jackson knocked lightly. Taehyung opened the door for them, stepping out of the way for them to enter the room. Taehyung's smell was in the air and made Jungkook nauseous. That metallic scent of blood mixed with the obnoxious sweet odor of flowers was something he had not smelled in a while. It was just as bad as the first time. 

As soon as Jungkook entered the room, he saw Yoongi sitting on a couch in the small living room area. He had his imponent pose going on, but Jungkook only wanted to punch him in the face.  _ Arrogant prick. _

"Jackson, Jungkook, welcome." He pointed at the couch in front of him, gesturing for them to sit down. 

"Wang Min, it's always a pleasure." Jackson turned his head and looked at Taehyung. "Taehyung-ssi, long time no see."

"Seeing you is never a good thing, Jackson." Taehyung spat out. 

" _ Aigoo _ , you two are no fun at all. Sit, sit." Yoongi pointed at the couch again. 

The three men sat down. Jackson and Jungkook on the couch, and Taehyung on the armchair by Jungkook's side. It was annoying to be in the same room as Kim Taehyung, but Jungkook could do nothing about it. He was just going to sit there and endure that meeting, like he was not at all bothered by the other man's presence. 

"I assume that you have a reason to arrive so early for the annual meeting." Jackson was curious. 

"Indeed, I do. A very annoying reason." Yoongi seemed genuinely mad. "And I wanted to ask for your help." 

"You know that I am not the kind of man that does favors for others, don't you?" Jackson smiled. "People do favors for me."

"I am quite aware, Mr. Wang." Yoongi was smiling back. "But I am not asking for a favor."

"Are you demanding?" Jackson leaned forward, tone growing colder. 

Yoongi was a scary man, but even he knew that he should not mess with Jackson. The man was famous for his lack of humanity and killed whoever he felt like killing. In the worst ways possible. Jungkook had experienced first hand and even helped him on a few occasions. He knew how Jackson could be and he knew that no one would dare make him do something he did not feel like doing. 

"Not at all, but this problem is of your interest." Yoongi's smile grew bigger. "It has to do with your drug problem.”

"Please, enlighten me." Jackson sat back on the couch.

"Taehyung-ssi, explain it to Mr. Wang." Yoongi turned to Taehyung. 

"A month ago, I went to Busan to check on a cargo that was meant for  _ Wang _ Min." He looked at Jungkook. "Everything went well and the cargo was sent off to Daegu. Nothing out of the ordinary." 

"And why is this interesting?" Jackson was annoyed. 

"When I got back to Daegu a few days later, I learned that our drug had been cut. Just like yours." Taehyung smiled at Jungkook. "After asking around and making people talk, I found out that a man with a Busan accent had paid my men to deliver that drug to our streets." 

"Just like my boy scouts." Jackson rubbed his chin. "Interesting, keep going."

"After interrogating some people, I managed to discover his associate and followed him." Taehyung was smiling at Jackson now. "Guess where he went."

"Don't play stupid games with me, Taehyung-ssi." Jackson was serious. "Tell me where."

"Seoul." Taehyung laughed. 

"If this man was in Seoul, I would know." Jackson scoffed. 

"He is not in the portion that you control." The smile on his face was sinister. 

Jackson was speechless. Jungkook had never seen that face, so this meant that this was bad. Very bad. Jungkook knew that Seoul was owned by two families and they hated each other quite deeply. Namjoon owned half of the city and the other half was in possession of a man called Kim Junmyeon, the angel of Seoul. Jungkook had never seen him personally, but he was known to be one of the most handsome men in South Korea. 

"Are you 100% sure?" Jackson's face was dark. "Do not fuck with me, Kim Taehyung."

"100%." Taehyung opened a couple of buttons on his shirt, exposing his chest. "Park Chanyeol confirmed it."

Sitting above his right nipple was a purple wound that had stitches closing a very big hole in the middle. Gunshot wound. Jungkook had seen quite a few and knew what that was the moment he laid his eyes on it. This had happened recently. He felt his heart tighten. Taehyung closed his shirt again and sat back on his armchair, legs spread wide. 

Jackson picked up his phone as he looked at Yoongi, he dialed a number and stood up, excusing himself out of the room. Jungkook was staring at Taehyung. He did not know if annoyance was the only thing he felt. Taehyung was even more handsome than the first time they had met. His black hair falling over his brows and making his eyes look as if they were holding a secret.  _ Handsome _ . 

"Jungkook-ssi, long time no see." Taehyung stared at Jungkook, a smile on his lips. "How have you been?"

"Fine. Thank you for asking." Jungkook did not want to give into his charms.

"Does my presence annoy you?" Taehyung was having fun. 

"Not at all. Your presence is a breath of fresh air." Jungkook would have his fun too. "Always good to see a familiar face."

Taehyung laughed as he stared intently at Jungkook. This made the young man feel his skin tingle. It had been a long time since he had seen him last and Jungkook was trying to understand his own feelings for that man. Was it hate? Disgust? Kook could not pinpoint what he was feeling and that made him anxious. 

Yoongi was probably not in the mood for talking and disappeared into the room. Both men were now alone. Something in Jungkook made him like the situation, but the smell in the room was now even stronger. It was as if Taehyung was doing it on purpose. Jungkook was struggling to breathe, the smell invading his lungs. 

Jungkook wanted more info on the man with an accent from Busan and he knew Taehyung knew more than what he was telling Jackson. He needed to find a way to uncover more details from that story, but he did not know how to be alone with that man. Dinner? Drinks? Torture him? He came out of his daze and looked at Taehyung. The other man was staring at him, a creepy smile on his face. Jungkook was about to speak, when Jackson came back into the room. His face was grim. 

"Taehyung-ssi, I've confirmed your story." His tone was dry. 

"I have no point in lying, Jackson." Taehyung was being sarcastic. "I've told you the whole story."

_ Liar. _

Jackson nodded and stared at Jungkook, this meant that they were leaving. The young man looked back at Taehyung and he knew he had to act now. It would probably be impossible to talk to him later if they left. Jungkook looked at Jackson with a look that he could only hope the other man understood and then looked back at Taehyung. 

"Taehyung-ssi, I would like to thank you for your help." Jackson smiled. "Why don't we have dinner together?" 

"Dinner?" Taehyung seemed suspicious.

"Yes, I'll text you the address." Jackson turned to leave. "Bring Yoongi."

Jungkook was already by the door and arched an eyebrow at Jackson. He then shifted his gaze to Taehyung, who was smiling at him. Both men left the room and headed for the elevator.

As soon as they entered Jackson's car, Jungkook let out a deep sigh and the other man laughed out loud. 

"You think he is hiding something."

"Maybe. Shall see." Jungkook did not want to give him too much information. 

"Do you think he'll show up?"

"No." Jungkook scoffed.

The two men went back to Namjoon's house to talk about what they had just learned. This was extremely bad and they were only two weeks away from the annual meeting. They had two weeks to fix this problem or this would blow up in their faces. If they could not control this situation, it would be seen as incompetence and other families could try to overthrow the Kim Family from Seoul. This was not an option. The major families had to keep their prestigious position at all costs, especially the Seoul one. 

Namjoon was angry, very angry. He hated having to deal with Junmyeon. They were both extremely powerful and were more than capable of causing a lot of damage to each other. Both men had agreed to not messing with the other's business and not going into the other Family's territory. It was a gentleman's agreement. But right now it was all going to shit. Namjoon needed the man that was being protected by Junmyeon and this would be a big problem. 

"Set up a meeting, Jackson." He gritted his teeth. "You both are coming with me." Namjoon ordered. 

Namjoon told Jungkook to leave as he had business to discuss with Jackson. He bowed and left, going back to the library. So much had happened that not even this place could calm his head. There was a person that he needed to talk to, urgently. Kim Seokjin. He picked up his phone and called his brother for the first time in months. 

_ "You are alive?" _ Seokjin scoffed.

_ "We have a problem." _

_ "I am aware. It's not us."  _

_ "You know?" _ Jungkook did not expect this. 

_ "I know everything that happens in my city, Jungkook." _

_ "It also happened in Busan?" _ Jungkook was starting to become more suspicious. 

_ "Yes." _

Jungkook did not want to ask this, but he had too. He had learned a lot about his brothers in the past months and he knew that they were not to be trusted. Seokjin was still a suspect, even though he had denied being a part of this scheme. But there was another person.

_ "Jimin?" _

_ "Can't say for sure." _ Seokjin sighed.  _ "He is not in Busan." _

_ "Is he in Daegu?" _

_ "No." _

_ "Good. We'll talk later." _

He ended the call and stared at his phone for a second, letting out a sigh. He knew something was wrong and he was afraid that his family had something to do with it. It was an unnerving feeling, especially when he had just found out Jimin was not in Busan. Where was he? Having seen Taehyung and being reminded of Jimin made his heart ache again. He imagined the two of them together and it was disgusting.  _ Gross _ .

"How is your brother, Jungkook-ssi?" 

Jungkook turned around to see that Jackson and Namjoon were standing at the door. Both had smiles on their faces, but he knew they were fake. He had to assume they had heard the whole conversation, now that he had been caught. Jungkook needed to find a way to escape their suspicions. If they ever found out about him sending Jung-hwan back to Busan or that he had been investigating this whole thing without their knowledge, he was going to die a very painful death. 

"He is probably hiding something." Jungkook sighed. "I tried to see if he would share valuable information, but he said nothing."

"And the drug in Busan has suffered alterations too?" Jackson asked. 

"Yes, it has." He tried to look suspicious. "But I do not trust him."

"You don't?" Namjoon was amused. "He is your brother."

"That doesn't mean much." Jungkook laughed. "Betrayal runs deep in the Kim blood."

_ Jimin _ . 

Both men laughed and entered the room to sit in the armchairs in front of the big window. Jungkook's peace had ended and he would now have to talk business. He knew that Jackson and Namjoon had plans that they did not disclose to him and, among those, there were probably things involving his family. This was extremely complicated. 

"Jungkook-ssi, Jackson keeps on saying good things about you." Namjoon stared at Jackson. "It can be quite annoying."

"I have only told the truth." Jackson looked at Jungkook with his usual sarcastic smile. "He is very hard working and a fast learner."

"Yes, Jackson." Namjoon was growing impatient. "I am aware. Thank you."

"I only do as I am told, hyung." Jungkook bowed his head a bit. 

"Indeed you do." Namjoon leaned forward. "That is why I have a small mission for you."

"A mission?" Confusion in his tone. 

"Jackson told me you were suspicious that Kim Taehyung was withholding valuable information from us." Namjoon was serious. "He also told me you have arranged a dinner with him and Min Yoongi."

"Yes."

"Jackson will take care of Min Yoongi since he is not someone you can easily handle." Namjoon looked at Jackson, nodding. "Your job is to gather the information Kim Taehyung is withholding. I trust you can do that."

  
  



	11. DEATH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Jungkook was sitting in Jackson's car staring into nothing in particular. He was too focused on his own thoughts. Namjoon had ordered him to get the information out of Taehyung and he had absolutely no idea how he could do that. It was not like he could google ways to obtain information from a sadistic psychopath. He was probably going to piss Taehyung off and he would kill him with his unique techniques. 

Jackson was looking at him and he knew it- this made things even worse. If he did not die in the hands of Taehyung, he would certainly perish in Jackson's hands. Which was the less painful way to go? Both men were known for their sadism as people feared being caught by them. Now poor Jungkook was involved with both of them and death was certain. 

"Puppy?" Jackson looked worried. 

"Yes?" 

"You look worried."

_ You would be worried too if you felt anything, you sadistic fuck. _

"Oh, it's nothing." He smiled at Jackson. "Just thinking about what to wear."

"We are going to  _ Ppalgan _ ." He looked at Jungkook from top to bottom, a malicious smile on his face. "No need to overdress."

" _ Ppalgan _ ?" Jungkook was worried. "Won't they be suspicious?"

"This is Seoul, not Daegu." Jackson scoffed. "Our territory, our rules."

Jungkook kept silent. 

"Plus," The smile was back. "You know I like it there."

Both men said nothing for the duration of the car ride, but Jungkook enjoyed the silence. It gave him time to think about things. He had to figure out a way of getting information out of Taehyung and then he needed to decide what to tell Namjoon and Jackson. He could not let them harm his family. If Seokjin or Jimin were involved in this, he would deal with them. But if Namjoon, Jackson, or Yoongi were to deal with them, he knew his family would be over. 

Jackson dropped Jungkook off at his building and he went up to his apartment. He had a few hours until he had to meet up with Taehyung and Yoongi at  _ Ppalgan _ . This meant he had time to dig out information. Since he had started working with Jackson, Jungkook had found ways to talk with people from the lower tiers, especially to Jackson's boys scouts. They were the people in charge of selling the drugs. Their line of work gave them access to a lot of information and a few of those boys knew how to use that to their advantage. 

Jungkook was now lying in his bed and took out his phone. He had to get in touch with his informant. He had caught this scout stealing from Namjoon, but instead of telling Jackson about it, he decided to take advantage of that. He made an agreement with the scout. Basically, in exchange for him giving Jungkook intel, he would spare his life. The scout obviously agreed to that. 

_ Rabbit: News? _

_ BB: Been to angel town.  _

_ Rabbit: And? _

_ BB: Can't talk now. Will tell later.  _

Finally something. He knew what BB meant by  _ angel town _ . Kook was fucked. He needed that information more than anything. If there was someone who could sneak around and see exactly who the person was, that was BB. He let go of his phone and would now have to wait for the other man to contact him again so he could get the information. 

He was deeply curious, but he could not push his luck. If BB wanted to disappear, it would not be an issue and he could not afford to let that happen. He accepted the situation at hand and now had to devise a plan to make Taehyung talk. That seemed as easy as building a rocket. He felt extremely stupid. 

It was easy to deal with someone like BB, but people like Jackson and Taehyung were impossible to read. They were snakes and their venomous tongues could make you believe anything they told you. You would not doubt it for a second. He was used to dealing with Jackson, making sure he did not fall for his lies. Still, sometimes he would falter and Jackson took advantage of that. Whenever this happened, he would suffer. Either physically or psychologically. 

Life had not been exactly easy these past few months. Still, he had to survive. Silently, Jungkook had endured the pain and the loneliness of being in that city working with those people. It was difficult and things did not seem to be getting better anytime soon. Whenever he felt like that, he would consider death. Jungkook looked at his wrist, bruises all over. When he was younger, he had tried to end his life a few times. 

Many things had happened in his life and sometimes it had been overwhelming. It all felt stupid right now, but back then it made complete sense. He had tried and failed every time, maybe because he wanted to fail. Maybe he did not actually want to die, just let the pain exit his body somehow. One day, he let his wrist show and Jimin saw it. His brother felt desperate but did not question it- all he did was take Jungkook to a beauty clinic in order to have laser sessions to remove the scars. 

Jungkook really felt as if he owed his brother for that. They never properly talked about it, but the feeling was there. Jimin had always taken care of him, made him feel loved. His brother had his own way of demonstrating, but Kook knew that was love. And his heart tightened again. So much had happened and he was now alone. His brothers were far away and he did not even know where Jimin was. 

The pain was there, but he had to ignore it. He had to focus on the task at hand- tricking Taehyung into giving him information. Should he drug that man? This seemed like the only viable option. Still, when Taehyung realised what Jungkook had done, he would kill him. Jungkook groaned and buried his face in his pillow. 

\--

When Jungkook finally emerged out of the bathroom, his phone was ringing. He walked towards his bedside table and picked it up, answering right away. 

"Yes?"

"Open the door, puppy." Jackson said calmly.

Jungkook left his bedroom and headed for the door. Jackson had dropped by unannounced and this felt weird. He would never drop by out of the blue, so this meant that he had either something to say or do. The second option was complicated. Jungkook stared at his front door for a few seconds before opening it and staring back into Jackson's dark eyes. He was not happy.  _ Shit. _

This probably meant Jungkook was going to die. What had Jackson found out? Kook looked down and saw he was only wearing a towel. Dying naked- what a way to go. Jackson let himself in and silently took off his shoes. Jungkook turned to face the other man once he entered the living room, heartbeat rate rising. 

"Puppy, I have discovered something." Jackson had his smile on. 

"What is it?"

Jackson did not answer, instead he stared at Jungkook. Looking at him from top to bottom and licking his lips. Jungkook did not even have time to blink before Jackson pushed him against the wall and pinned both his arms up. He was helpless. Jackson was extremely strong and Jungkook didn't stand a chance against that psychopath. 

"Baby, if you are going to do this to me." He sniffed Jungkook's neck. "I'll have to enjoy it."

"Jackson, not now." Jungkook growled. 

"Oh, no?" Jackson looked around. "Am I interrupting something?" His face was closer.

"No, just not in the mood for this." Jungkook leaned forward. "Let go of me."

Jungkook was extremely anxious, but could not let it show. Jackson laughed at his answer and let the boy go. Jungkook touched where the elder had been holding him, it was bruised. He got out of the other's way and sat at his dining table, not bothering to look at Jackson. 

"Something is off." Jackson arched an eyebrow. "Talk."

He was almost like an airport dog, Jackson could smell when stuff was not the way it was supposed to be. Jungkook could not just tell him the shit he had been doing and could not lie either. He had to find a way to mask everything that was happening and make sure he would stay alive. Jackson was not someone that was easily fooled. 

"I'm tired." Jungkook sighed. "And I don't want to have dinner with those fuckers."

Jackson looked at him for a second and laughed. A simple and carefree laugh. That was never a good thing. He was going to get hurt and that was a sure thing. As soon as he concluded his line of thought, Jackson grabbed Jungkook's neck. Fingers sliding to his throat.  _ What a surprise. _ Jungkook took a long breath, expecting the lack of air to hit him soon. Instead Jackson took his hand off his neck and used his fingers to caress Kook's cheek. 

This was weird and Jungkook faltered for a second. He did not expect the elder to touch him like that. Especially in a way that he enjoyed. Shit. This was most likely Jackson working his magic and making Jungkook lose his stance. It had worked. His arms relaxed and his face fell tilted towards the hand. 

"You like that, puppy?" A malicious smile on his face. 

"Yes."

"You want me to touch you like this?" His fingers going up to his hair.

"Jackson," Jungkook was almost begging. "Please don't."

"Why?" His body was closer. "You seem to like it."

Jungkook did not like it in a good way. The way Jackson was caressing him was just like Jimin used to do. Why was everyone reminding Jungkook of him? He felt the room spin and his heart ached. It hurt like hell and his body trembled, his hand grabbing his chest. Jackson seemed to have noticed and backed away. Jungkook seemed to be in serious pain and the elder could see. 

"Jungkook?"

"It's nothing." He said with gritted teeth. "Just let me breathe for a second."

"Did you take something?" Jackson arched his eyebrow. "Are you doing drugs?"

"No." Jungkook moved to the sofa. "I don't use that shit."

The youth sat down on the couch and let his hand fall back. He just needed to breathe. He had no idea how he could explain to Jackson that he was having a panic attack. Breathing would do. He had to control his feelings. Jackson had disappeared for a second and Jungkook was now staring at a glass of water the elder was offering him. Weirdly enough, Jackson seemed worried about him. 

"You swear that you are not taking anything?" 

"I swear, _ hyung _ ." Jungkook stared at Jackson. 

"Fine, I am going to trust you." Jackson was back to his normal self. "If you are lying, I will kill you, understand puppy?"

"Yes,  _ hyung _ ."

One thing Jungkook had learned on his first days was that Jackson hated drugs. He would indeed supervise the scouts that sold Namjoon's drugs on the streets of Seoul, but did not allow any of his men to consume it. He had a point, drugs were never a good thing. But then again, addictions are complicated. Jungkook had helped him kill more people than he could count on his hands and a few of them had worked with him. Amongst those deaths, were Jackson's lesson to not use drugs. Those who chose to ignore his rule and consume their drugs or anyone else's, would receive his punishment. Overdose. 

It was not a simple overdose. Everything with Jackson had to be extra. The way he talked, acted, and killed. So he would let the person experience withdrawal. When the victim was almost done, he would then offer them a hit. The dose, of course, was bigger than the acceptable one. So he would make the person overdose on his own addiction right after having suffered from the lack of it. As always,  _ extra _ . 

Jungkook was feeling better and he now stared at Jackson. The man had a disgusted look on his face and Kook had to find a way to deal with that. He took Jackson's hand and slowly rubbed his knuckles. A faint smile on his face. He hated when he did that, but it was the only way he could make Jackson let go of the subject. 

"I really am just tired. I swear."

"Fine." Jackson let go. "Go get dressed. I don't want to be late."

Kook had barely escaped alive. He went into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He let out a low sigh and headed towards his closet, picking out some clothes. All black, as always. It didn't take him much time to go back to the living room and Jackson was on his phone. Someone was talking to him and he put his finger up, silently telling Jungkook to keep quiet. The youth obeyed. A few seconds later, Jackson ended the call and was now staring at Jungkook. He was mad. Extremely mad. 

"I don't care what you have to do." His eyes were burning. "You get that information from Kim Taehyung."

"Yes, hyung." Jungkook bowed slightly. "Has something happened?"

"Junmyeon denied our request." He got up and walked towards the door. "We can't do shit."

The elder put on his shoes and left. Jungkook followed behind. He knew this was bad. If they tried to do anything, Junmyeon would consider that a breach in their silent agreement and that would mean war. A bloody one. Jackson knew it better than Jungkook and that is why he was so mad. 

When Jungkook got to the car, he remembered Jackson had said something about a discovery. This was probably not the time to ask, but he was too curious. 

"You said you had discovered something." Jungkook tried to seem calm. "Is it something good?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." Jackson scoffed. "Things have changed."

Jackson drove like a madman and in no time they arrived at  _ PpalganBelbet _ . As always, they went up the stairs, but unlike all the other times, there was no one in the room. All the tables were vacant and for the first time, Jungkook saw that place silent. It was a weird sight. They sat at their usual table by the window and in no time, their drinks had arrived. It was almost 8pm and Jungkook was feeling a little bit anxious. He did not know if Yoongi and Taehyung would show up. 

They did not speak much, Jackson was not in a good mood and he knew better than anyone to keep his distance. Jackson knew how to bite and he always did it fiercely. After a while, a woman came up to the table and whispered something in Jackson's ear. He nodded and she left. They had arrived. A moment later, Yoongi and Taehyung were walking towards them. 

Jungkook had to fight the urge to open his mouth. Taehyung was wearing a black suit with a black turtleneck underneath. His hands were in his pocket and his hair, as always, covering his eyebrows in a mysterious way.  _ Stunning _ . Jackson stared at Jungkook for a second and raised an eyebrow. 

"See something you like?" He had a smirk on his face. 

Kook did not bother to dignify him with an answer and only took a sip from his glass. When the Daegu duo got closer, Jackson stood up and Jungkook followed suit. They welcomed the pair bowing down. 

" _ Wang _ Min, Taehyung-ssi." Jackson was smiling. "I did not think you would come."

"Nonsense, Jackson." Yoongi scoffed. "I'm not an asshole."

_ Are you sure? _

"Please, sit down." Jackson pointed at the chairs.

Jungkook had switched places to sit beside Jackson, so now Taehyung was sitting opposite him. The sweet and bloody smell invading his lungs. He tried his best to not show the annoyance he was feeling, but it was consuming all of his energy. He decided to light a cigarette to try to mask the smell. Taehyung was staring at him. Kook knew the other man did not smoke, but he did not care if it bothered him or not. 

The four of them sat and talked for a while, Jackson and Yoongi did most of the talking. They would discuss business and old acquaintances in an intense passive-aggressive tone. It felt like a battle. Actually it felt like a dick-sizing competition. And Jungkook was bored by it, the pack of smokes almost empty. 

Everytime he lit a cigarette, Taehyung's lips would twitch showing his contempt for the younger one's addiction. Jackson finally seemed to be done with the dick-sizing and decided this was the time to separate the pairs. 

"Yoongi-ssi, do you mind joining me in the other room?" He looked at Taehyung and then back at Yoongi. "I have some private matters to discuss with you." 

Yoongi did not say anything but nodded in agreement. He stood up and followed Jackson into a separate room he normally used for his private affairs. That normally meant sex with some young male model or some famous artist that could not afford to be seen having fun with someone like Jackson Wang. The two of them were gone and now Jungkook and Taehyung were staring at each other. 

"How is Seoul treating you, Taehyung-ssi?" Jungkook asked.

"Is that what you really want to know, Jeon Jungkook?" Taehyung had leaned forward. 

"Should I be wanting to know anything else?"

"I think you should ask the right questions." Taehyung had a smirk on his face. 

"Fine." Jungkook lit another cigarette. "Will you answer them?"

"I will do my best." Taehyung said sarcastically.

"You haven't told the whole story, have you?" Jungkook puffed on the cigarette. 

"No." Taehyung sipped on his drink. "Should I?" Eyebrows raised. 

"You can tell me." Jungkook leaned closer and whispered. "I'll keep your secret safe."

Taehyung seemed to be having too much fun. Jungkook knew he was no match for that man's wit but he had to try. He was going for the "sexy" approach. It was a bit clumsy, but it was decent. If this did not work, he was fucked. He had to discover at least something before the night ended. If he didn't, his head would be served to Namjoon first thing in the morning.  _ Shit _ .

The little table between the two chairs was the only thing that kept those two men apart. Jungkook and Taehyung had both leaned closer to make their little threats to the other and the youngest was burning up. This man was a walking threat, he always made Jungkook feel things he knew he should not. Taehyung was staring at him intently. Kook tried not to swallow hard. 

"Jungkook-ssi, what would you do for this information?" Taehyung put his hand on Jungkook's knee, slowly climbing up. 

"Obey." He smiled at him. 

"Oh, baby." Taehyung was happy. "Don't tease me."

Before Jungkook could say anything else, Taehyung was sitting on his lap, his legs on each side of the boy. Both hands on his neck, choking the young man. Jungkook was startled and held onto the elders arms, tugging hard. Taehyung wasn't playing, he was seriously choking Jungkook and he was not far from losing consciousness. He was insane and Kook knew it.  _ Shit _ . And then he heard it. Taehyung put his lips next to his ear and whispered. 

"The man you are looking for," he licked Jungkook's ear. "Is not from Busan, baby."

Taehyung loosened the grip and stared at Jungkook who was now panting. He licked his lips and used a finger to touch the boys lips, following it's contour. Jungkook was speechless and turned on.  _ Fuck _ . He could feel the arousal and he could not hide it from the other man. He was hard, extremely hard. And if he was feeling it, so was Taehyung. The other man looked down and smiled even more maliciously than before- he knew he had won and the poor boy was left with no dignity. 

"Do you like this, baby?" His fingers were playing with the boy's neck. 

"Yes." Jungkook could not deny it. 

"Will you obey?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good."

Jungkook lost and it was ugly. He tried his best, but he knew from the start that he could not win over someone like Kim Taehyung. All there was left was obeying. He had become a pawn in Taehyung's sick game and he could not escape it. Jungkook could not let Jackson find out. How would this even play out? Truth was, he  _ wanted _ to be used by Kim Taehyung.

His hands had dropped to the side and he was now completely obedient. Whatever Taehyung did, he would accept it. But the elder had already gotten up and was back in his seat, licking his lips. It looked like nothing had happened apart from the bulge in Jungkook's pants. He was on the verge of whining for more, when the door of the room opened again. Jackson and Yoongi were back.  _ How did he know? _ Jackson did not even sit down.

"Jungkook-ssi will entertain you two." He was smiling. "I have some important business to tend to."

Jackson left and the three of them were alone in the big empty room. All they could do was stare at each other for a while. Yoongi did not seem pleased. He looked at Taehyung and the young man stood up. 

"It was a pleasure, Jungkook-ssi." Taehyung bowed down, a sadistic smile on his lips. 

Yoongi did not say anything but bowed slightly. They left the room and Jungkook finally breathed. He melted into the chair he was sitting on and wheezed.  _ Fuck _ . That man was so dangerous, but  _ so _ hot. Jungkook was completely fucked. He was now certain that he had an extremely bad taste in men. 

He finished his drink in one gulp and headed out of the club to grab a taxi home. He spent the whole ride thinking about what had happened. Did he actually say he would obey Kim Taehyung? What the fuck was he thinking? Exactly, he wasn't. Jungkook was not ignorant but right now he felt like the most stupid person in the whole world. He had made the biggest mistake of his life and he was sure of it. 

Jungkook got back to his apartment and just collapsed in his bed. His head was spinning. Still, everytime he thought about Kim Taehyung, his body would burn up. And the weird part was that it was not a bad burn. It was good and he wanted to feel it again. He wanted to feel  _ him _ again. The heat from his body. The softness of his touch. He even wanted his hands on his neck again. That was a fucked up kink and Jungkook knew it. He  _ liked _ it. 

It didn't take him long to fall asleep, he did not even change his clothes but he was pulled out of his dreams by a message in the middle of the night. His phone buzzed in his pants and he took it out to look at it.  _ 3am _ . He unlocked the phone and it was a message from his informant. 

_ BB: Sniffing around, puppy? _

_ FUCK! _

Jungkook knew death was coming. Puppy. He knew who it was. He knew Jackson had found out about his informant and what he had been doing. He had avoided dying because of Taehyung and now he had gotten himself killed.  _ Shit. Fuck. Shit.  _ The phone buzzed again. Jungkook looked at it and it was an address. It was the place where he was going to die. Where he would say his last words.  _ Sad _ . 

He went down to his car and drove to the address. His mind was in disarray. It was a miracle he didn't die on the way to his own death. He had so many things in his mind. So much he wanted to say. 

_ I'm sorry for everything, Seokjin. _

_ I'm sorry I lied to you, Jung-hwan. _

__

_ I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Jimin.  _

_ I'm sorry I was stupid.  _

Jungkook arrived at the address he had been sent. It was an abandoned factory.  _ How cliche. _ It looked so lowly, but then again he didn't do anything to deserve being treated better than that. He was a traitor and Jackson hated people who betrayed him. He walked around the abandoned building and saw a faint light by one of the windows. That was it. His tomb.  _ Fuck. _

He kind of wanted to piss his pants. Would that be pathetic? Probably not. Jungkook was going to die anyway, so pissing himself was at least something he was allowed to. He thought he wouldn't fear death when it arrived, but  _ fuck _ he was scared out of his mind. He wanted to run away.  _ As if he could _ . Jackson would hunt him down. He would hunt him like the predator he was and he would stop at nothing to skin his puppy. 

He walked around the lot and found the entrance to the place. As he walked closer he could see someone sitting on a chair.  _ BB _ . He was probably dead. No, he was definitely dead. His head hung low and he could not see his face. Blood everywhere. Jungkook felt a shiver run down his spine. What the fuck was going on? He could see a faint silhouette hiding in the dark. This was scary. Too scary. 

Why did he feel like this was not Jackson? He walked closer, legs trembling. He was afraid like never before. The place had a sweet smell that he was all too familiar with. Death. It was truly strong this time, like someone had sprayed the whole place with that creepy perfume. Something was wrong. He finally stopped, a few feet from the dead body. 

"Kneel." A deep voice commanded from the darkness. 

_ WHAT THE FUCK? _

That voice belonged to the one and only Kim Taehyung. He strode out of the darkness like a ghost. His feet didn't even make a noise when he walked. It was like he wasn't even touching the ground. Jungkook was trembling hard. He was feeling cold. Extremely cold. Taehyung had the creepiest smile he had ever seen in those lips. This was too much and Jungkook felt like passing out. This was too messed up. 

Taehyung stopped by the dead body and caressed BB's hair. 

"You should not use others to do your dirty little jobs." Taehyung stuck his fingers in the boy's hair, pulling his head up and revealing his face. "They will pay the price for your mistakes."

Jungkook threw up instantly. The boy's face was completely disfigured. His eyes had been pulled out, his nose had been cut off, and his mouth had been cut in a way that made a smile that ran from ear to ear, his jaw hanging open. A terrifying smile. Taehyung was laughing like a mad man and Jungkook was terrified. What had he done? 

Taehyung let go of the boy's head and walked towards Jungkook. He grabbed the man by the chin and made him stare up at him. He looked happy to see Kook. Taehyung was smiling with a sweet smile and it made his face look even more scary. Jungkook accepted his death and closed his eyes.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think someone just established dominance hehe
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone that has been reading Blood Lilly <3   
> I am extremely thankful to have people that actually like what I write haha  
> But I just want to leave this little note here. If you have reached the end of chapter 11, I have some bad news for you (it's not that bad, I swear)! As I said before, it takes me a lot of time to write/proof read these chapters and sometimes I really can't write anything. Since I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like, I'm going to take 1 week off and come back next week with more chapters (I promise) and a very nice surprise for everyone. It's only 1 week without psychopaths and puppies, I promise. Next week I will post more chapters than before to make up for the sad week.   
> See you guys in 1 week <3 <3


	12. PAIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaand I'm back!  
> It didn't take me a whole week to get to the point I wanted to get in the story, so here you go! 
> 
> Ps: There are some new characters that are quite important to the story.
> 
> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

When Jungkook finally opened his eyes, it was much brighter than before. He seemed to be in an office of some sort. His eyes blinking hard, trying to adjust to the light. There were shelves filled with books and artwork of the most various kinds. It seemed like Namjoon's house. But it was white. Everything was too white, except for the black wooden table in front of him. 

Jungkook tried to move but he couldn't. His hands and feet were tied up. What the fuck was going on? His head was throbbing and he felt as if he was going to pass out. Eventually, something behind him seemed to move. Was it someone? He tried to look around, but the way he was tied up made it impossible. 

A man walked past him and sat at the edge of the table, facing him. He had dark hair and a face so beautiful that anyone would be instantly drawn to it. Fuck. He knew who this man was and this was bad. Jungkook started to remember the events of that night and only now did he realize that he had gone to an address located in angel town. This was Junmyeon’s territory and he had just crossed a very complicated line. 

"May I ask what you were doing in my territory, Jeon Jungkook?" He had a soft face and a beautiful smile. 

"I was ambushed, sir." Jungkook sighed. 

"No need to call me sir." He laughed. "Please, call me Junmyeon."

"I do not feel comfortable doing that, sir."

"Fine, fine." The smile never leaving his face. "But you still have to tell me what you were doing in that factory."

"My informant told me to meet him there, sir." Jungkook was serious. 

"The dead boy."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, dear Jungkook." His smile was gone. "I have a problem with that."

"A problem?"

"Well, yes." Junmyeon tapped the desk. "It so happens that your informant was one of my little angels."

_ SHIT! _

Jungkook went completely silent, blood draining from his face _.  _

"Care to tell me why one of my angels was your informant?" His face was grim.

"Sir, this man was one of Namjoon's scouts." His palms were sweating. "I can guarantee that he had been working as one of ours for months."

"That is interesting." Junmyeon leaned closer. "He had been one of mine for years."

Jungkook was fucked and he knew it. There he was, in Junmyeon's office with no way to escape. He had no way to prove his innocence right now without telling him more than he should. How many times had Jungkook faced death that night alone? It was getting ridiculous and he was fed up. Either death claimed her prize soon or Jungkook was going to kill himself and go beat the shit out of her. 

He had no idea how to escape that situation and now he had to endure whatever torture Junmyeon had in store for him. Did he even torture people? A gunshot would be ok too. Anything that ended his life. It was just how it is. He would either die in Taehyung's hand, Jackson's or Junmyeon’s.  _ Choose your killer. _ It was hilarious, actually. He was surrounded by evil guys and he had just lost hope. 

"Well," Junmyeon had his smile back. "My angel seemed to be involved with a lot of people. So greedy."

Jungkook was silent. He would not dare to say anything right now and risk getting himself actually killed this time. 

"Funny thing is," Junmyeon was scratching his chin. "Why would Kim Taehyung kill him and leave you as a gift for me?"

"You know Kim Taehyung?"

"My dear, there is only one person in South Korea that likes to kill people with that much sadism."

"There was no one when I got there." Jungkook lied. "Only the dead body. Next thing I know, I was here."

"Complicated indeed."

The beautiful man got up and walked to the back of the room. He could hear a faint conversation and Jungkook knew there was someone else in the room with them. Maybe the person who was going to kill him? Oh well, life was just making fun of him now and he had to accept that pathetic fate of his. 

Jungkook's head was still throbbing and he knew it was because Taehyung had knocked him down with something. If he survived this, he would not have mercy on that psychopath. Junmyeon seemed to be walking back and Jungkook forced himself out of those murderous thoughts. 

He heard footsteps again and now Junmyeon was not alone anymore. There were two men by his side. They were both equally tall and handsome. One was tall and slim, with black hair and a very serious face. The other man was just as tall, maybe even a bit taller. He was much more muscular and had dark red hair. Jungkook assumed those were Junmyeon's trusted men, Oh Sehun and Park Chanyeol. 

"Well, Jungkook," He sat back at the edge of the table. "What shall I do with you?"

"Do what you think is fitting, sir." 

"Are you asking me to kill you?" Junmyeon seemed offended. 

"If that is what you wish." Jungkook sighed. "I will accept my fate."

Junmyeon was laughing loudly. He had that kind of laughter that made you want to laugh along with him- it was contagious. For a second Jungkook felt a certain happiness fill his insides. It was a funny feeling, considering he was about to be killed by those two men. Park Chanyeol was famous amongst the families. He was Suho's hitman and killed people with no mercy. He wasn't as sadistic as Jackson or Taehyung, but he did a lot of killing. 

Oh Sehun was a more complicated guy. There was never info on him and his way of doing business was very quiet. He was Junmyeon's right hand and they were extremely close. At times, people would say both men were more than just partners- there were rumours about both having a relationship. Strangely enough, those people never seemed to live long enough to confirm their suspicions. 

"I do not intend to kill someone as important as you, Jungkook." Junmyeon tapped his finger on the tip of the boy's nose. "But I can't just let you go."

Jungkook wasn't going to die, but he was not going to be released this easily. He was going to be beaten up. Looking at Chanyeol, he knew that he was going to have to endure a lot of pain.  _ Shit _ . Junmyeon stood up and headed for the door. Jungkook was now alone in the room with both Chanyeol and Sehun. This was going to be bad. 

Both men approached him and put a bag over his head. They untied his feet and made him walk for a while. After what felt like a few minutes, he was forced to stop. The bag was removed and he could now see that he was in the middle of a deposit of sorts. Chanyeol was the first one to draw a punch and it hurt like hell. Him and Sehun took turns hitting and kicking Jungkook and at some point the young man passed out. 

"Seokjin, hyung!" Jungkook screamed.

He was lying in his bed and there was a terrible storm outside. The thunders were roaring loudly. He was scared out of his mind, so the only thing he could do was scream for his older brother to come rescue him. Seokjin did not come, so he had no other choice than to go find his brother and stay with him. 

He got out of his room and walked down the hallway. He entered the forbidden room. Seokjin's room was always tidy and clean. He liked his things like that.  _ Control freak _ . He looked around, but his brother was nowhere to be found. He looked out the window again and it was still dark outside. That meant it was late, but his brother was not in his room. Where was he? 

Jungkook got out of the room and headed for Jimin's room. Maybe his brother would know where Seokjin was. But to his surprise, his room was also empty. Kook became anxious and decided to head downstairs. They would surely be there, wouldn't they? Jungkook ran downstairs as fast as he could and walked around the lower floor looking for his brothers. He went to Seokjin's office, the kitchen and dining room. They weren't there. The living room! He walked over and there they were. 

Both men had their backs turned to him and were watching the rain pouring down the glass wall. They seemed peaceful as they sat on their chairs. The room smelled like vanilla and it was probably because Jimin was smoking one of his disgusting cigarettes. He could see the two glasses of wine that sat on the small table between their chairs. 

" _ Hyungs _ !"

Jungkook called out to them but they did not move. Why didn't they turn? Jungkook started walking towards both men calling out their names. Still they did not turn to face him. What was going on? Couldn't they listen to him? Jungkook seemed to walk for a long time, even though the room was relatively small. He finally managed to get near them and called out once more. No response. The young man then decided he would step in front of them and complain that they had not heard him. 

He began to slowly walk past the two men and when he finally saw their faces, terror filled him. Both his brothers had their eyes and noses removed, and there was a sinister smile cut into their faces that ran from ear to ear, their jaws hanging from their faces. The only thing Jungkook could do was scream in despair. He screamed so loudly that when he woke up he was still screaming. 

"SEOKJIN! JIMIN!" He screamed as he got up and sat on the bed. 

A hand touched his shoulder and he slowly turned to see who it was. He was painting hard and his body ached everywhere. His head was exploding. Jackson sat beside him on the bed. He was holding Jungkook in place while the boy screamed his brother's name. He looked bothered by the sight in front of him and Jungkook felt even more pain. 

Jackson helped him lie down again and covered him back with the soft white blanket. Jungkook looked around and he was in a big white room, lying in a bed by the window. He had never been in that place before, so he felt lost. The pain was excruciating and his head felt like it was going to explode. He felt a sharp pain on the left side of his abdomen every time he drew a breath.  _ Broken ribs _ . 

It suddenly dawned on him what had happened. The last thing he remembered was being beaten by Sehun and Chanyeol. They probably beat him unconscious and returned him to Namjoon after that. Jungkook was taught a lesson, but the pain he felt now made him wish that he was dead. 

"Are you ok, puppy?"

"It," Jungkook flinched with the pain. "Hurts."

"I know it does, baby." Jackson put a wet towel in his forehead. "But you are going to be ok."

"What." Another flinch. "Happened?"

"You got beaten up badly." Jackson sighed "Then they put you in the trunk of your car and gave us the directions to come pick you up."

"How." Flinch. "Long" Pain. "Have I been out?"

"A day and a half." Jackson ran his fingers through his hair. "But you should rest up a bit more."

"Is it," Flinch. "That bad?"

"The doctor said there was a 30% chance that you might not wake up." Jackson seemed mad. "Ever."

"Shit." Jungkook was in so much pain. 

He looked to the side and could see a transparent liquid being poured into him through an IV stuck in his arm. It was probably morphine or something for the pain. Jackson followed his gaze and looked at the IV drip. He stood up and adjusted the drip. He had probably raised the dosage because Jungkook fell almost instantly into a deep sleep. 

**\--**

Jackson was driving as usual and Jungkook sat beside him. He had rested for 5 days, before he could go back to work. His face was still bruised and his body was purple everywhere. He would flinch whenever he took off his clothes, but the pain had become more bearable. Namjoon and Jackson took turns interrogating him about what had happened that night. They tried to make it seem like they were having a friendly conversation, but Jungkook knew that they were fishing for information. He did not mind it. 

"Have you talked to him, puppy?" Jackson was smiling at him.

"I have." Jungkook's tone was cold. "But he did not say much."

The two men were on the way to meet one of Jackson's informants who had been working closely with Suho's angels. They were investigating the man from Busan that, after Taehyung's lead, turned out to be just faking his accent.  _ Taehyung _ . Jungkook harbored a deep hatred for the man and was happy that he had not see him at all after that incident. If he did, he was sure he would kill him. Even if that meant he would die as well. He noticed Jackson staring at him and turned to look at the elder. 

"What are you thinking about?" His tone was curious. 

"Killing Kim Taehyung." Jungkook said coldly. 

"Don't worry, puppy." He put his hand on Jungkook's thigh and squeezed lightly. "When the event is over, you can do whatever you want with him. I'll just come to watch."

Jungkook did not bother to answer him but smiled lightly. His mind was still a mess and the pain did not help with it. He had been taking very strong painkillers to manage the pain he felt all over his body and that had just become fuel for his vendetta. Once the annual meeting was over, Taehyung would die in his hands. Just one more week and that  _ fucker _ would be dead. The thought made Jungkook smile brightly. Jackson stared at him, a sweet smile on his face. 

They arrived at their destination, an abandoned complex in the outskirts of town. They got out of their car and walked towards the middle of the complex. A young man was waiting for them. Jungkook did not know him. They walked towards him and stopped a few feet away.  _ Safety measure _ . The boy seemed anxious and you could even see a few drops of sweat sliding down his face. He had discovered something bad. 

"Baby, how are you?"

"I don't have much time, Jackson." The boy looked around. "Let's get this over with."

"Fine," Jackson clicked his tongue. "What have you found out?"

"The man. The man you want?" The boy was stuttering. "He's a bad man. A very bad man."

"Worse than me?" Jackson laughed. 

"Yes." The boy trembled. 

This sentence made Jackson's face twitch. The smile was gone. There weren't a lot of people that could be compared to Jackson when it came to being evil. But there weren't any that could be considered worse than him. Except.  _ No way! _ There was only one person Jungkook could consider to be worse than Jackson and it did not make any sense for him to be involved in this. 

Jungkook looked at the other man and they silently communicated. This had changed their line of thinking. If Kim Taehyung was involved, things had just gotten a lot nastier than before. This would mean that they would have to deal with that psychopath earlier than they had thought and that would involve pissing off someone like Min Yoongi. This was bad. 

"He can't possibly be so bad." Jackson had a soft tone in his voice. 

"He knows I know stuff." The boy was sweating even more. "He knows I do shit for you."

"Is that so?" He arched an eyebrow. 

"Yeah!" The boy was almost crying. "He killed my friends. I'm next."

The boy was now kneeling in front of Jackson. He was begging for his life and the elder knew it. This poor boy had chosen the wrong person to beg to. Jackson did not care if he lived or died, he was just a pawn that could be easily replaced. The boy was helpless and Jungkook knew that he would soon show up dead. This was sad and annoying at the same time. Kook wanted to catch Taehyung and he wanted to kill him, but now he seemed to be involved in something bigger. He seemed to be one of the key characters in the whole plot. And not even Jackson would mess with him. Taehyung was so close, yet Jungkook could not grab him. 

"I have one last job for you." Jackson helped the boy up. "After that I will send you away and protect you."

"Please!" The boy begged once more. 

"I just need you to lure him somewhere." Jackson squeezed his shoulder. "It will all be over soon."

The boy seemed as if he was about to cry. Taehyung had really left an impression on him and he was terrified. So was Jungkook but he could not show- he had to look calm. Jackson was always watching and the smallest slip could mean he would end up dangling from the ceiling. He did not want that for himself. 

Jackson explained the plan to the young boy and after he was done, Jungkook followed him back to the car. The elder’s face was grim and one could tell he had a lot on his mind. Killing intent burned in his eyes. He sat down in the car and punched the steering wheel. This whole story had become too complex and it now involved characters that were not easy to deal with. If Jungkook knew that, Jackson was certainly aware as well. 

"What exactly do you plan to do to Taehyung?" Jungkook asked. 

"Kill him." Jackson scoffed. 

"How?" Jungkook was truly curious. 

"Why?" Jackson's hand choking him. "Want to join him?"

"No," Jungkook took Jackson's hand from his neck. "Just jealous."

"Jealous that I am the one killing him?" Jackson laughed as he started the car. "You are pathetic, puppy."

Indeed, he was. Jungkook was truly jealous of Jackson being the one that would kill Taehyung, but his heart was also beating faster. He seemed worried. There was not a specific reason for that, so he just swallowed hard and tried to forget that feeling as fast as possible. He had sworn he would not feel anything but hatred for that man. 

The meeting was only 7 days away and Jungkook was working hard to welcome all the guests that were arriving in Seoul. He would take them to dinner, clubs and anywhere that pleased them. This was his job. Making sure the families were happy.  _ Happy criminals did not cause much trouble. _ The main event of the meeting was the event at Namjoon's mountain cottage. It was actually a mansion with many bedrooms and 2 guest houses. It was going to be a 2-day event in which the guests could enjoy the snowy mountains and focus on healing for a while. Of course, business would not be forgotten, but it would be done in a nice environment rather than in an office meeting room. 

Jungkook had to go up to the house to make sure everything was ready, so after they were done with the young boy Jackson dropped him off at his house so he could take his own car to the cottage. Jungkook got to his building and went up to his apartment to get a better jacket. The house was at the foot of the mountain, so he would need a heavier coat to fit that weather. 

He got to his apartment and opened the door calmly. Suddenly, the color vanished from his face. As soon as Jungkook opened his door, a gust of wind hit him right in the face. He was used to it, but he did not expect that smell. His house smelled sweet.  _ Lilies _ . That scent was distinctive and he would never get it wrong. Why did his house smell like that disgusting flower? He ran inside, not even bothering to take off his shoes. And there it was. 

In the middle of his dining table there was a bouquet. It was enormous and he could see all the lilies that were perfectly aligned in it. Who would send something like this? Jungkook walked carefully towards the flowers and he could now see a small note sitting on the top of the flower petals. He grabbed the note and opened it carefully. His face became even paler than before. 

_ I have missed you, Kookie _


	13. ENCOUNTER

That note meant one thing, Jimin was back. And this was not necessarily a good thing. Maybe it would've been if he had not sent the thing Jungkook despised most in this life.  _ Fucking lillies. _ This was a message and it was not a good one. He had been suspicious of his older brother ever since he first heard about the man with a Busan accent. He was actually the first person to come to his mind. So this had become a very complicated matter. 

Jimin was teasing Jungkook and he knew things would get sticky from now on. His brother knew how to play games with people- he was a very cunning fox. With Jimin in town and Seokjin arriving in a few days, Seoul would become the stage of a fierce battle. The Kim family would have to face it's end. 

Jungkook turned on his heels and went into the kitchen. He grabbed a plastic bag that had been lying around and used it to throw the flowers away. He left the apartment with the bag in hand. He went down to the recycling area and disposed of the bag like it was nothing. It really did not mean anything to him, only bitterness. Once the bag was gone, he turned around and headed to the garage. 

Once in his car, Jungkook let out a huge sigh. His mind was rushing and his blood was boiling. That bouquet was an open declaration of war and he knew it. Jimin was pushing and he was pushing hard. He just did not know that Kook had changed so much. He was going to answer his note and he wasn't going to be pleasant. He grabbed his phone and pressed the dial button. 

_ "What is it, puppy?" _ Jackson answered in a calm tone. 

_ "Jimin is in town." _ Jungkook hissed. 

_ "I know, baby." _ Jackson laughed.  _ "We've met." _

_ "You have?" _ Jungkook was mad.  _ "Why didn't you tell me?" _

_ "Since when do I have to tell you anything, Jungkook?" _

That sentence sent a shiver down his spine. He had crossed the line and Kook knew it. Jackson had his limits and even though he was tolerant with Jungkook that did not mean he could easily cross those. He sighed and decided to try another approach on this. 

_ "I didn't mean it like that." _ He whined. _ "I just wanted to see him." _

_ "He's staying over at the Signiel."  _ Jackson's tone had become tranquil.  _ "Visit him when you get back." _

_ "Thank you, hyung." _

_ "Let me know when you arrive at the house." _ He seemed tense.  _ "I have a favor to ask." _

The call ended and Jungkook threw his phone on the passenger's seat. He was definitely going to do something. He just did not know what.  _ Fuck it _ . He started his car and drove into the busy streets of Seoul. The drive was quite long since the house was far from the city, but still it was not so bad. All that time driving gave him time to think and Jungkook came up with a very good answer to Jimin's little present. 

The house sat on the top of the hill, surrounded by a forest. Snow had already fallen and now the scenery was all white. You could not see the burned grass, only the dense white snow. Jungkook arrived at the main gate and the black metal doors opened quickly. The staff knew him and his car, so he had no problem getting into the house. 

As soon as he parked and exited the car, he cursed loudly. That whole bouquet ordeal had made him forget that he needed to grab a coat. He wasn't exactly freezing, but he wasn't warm either.  _ Fuck _ . He ran into the house and began to rub his hands and shoulders to get warmer. The staff had yet to come so the big mansion was empty. 

Apart from security, Jungkook was all alone in that big empty house. He wondered a bit and found the room in which he would spend the night. He had many things to do in the house and it was already late. He had let Jackson know that he would sleep in the house for the night and head back to Seoul in the morning. 

He entered the room and sat down on the corner of the big purple bed. Jungkook loved this room. Everything was beautifully decorated with a deep purple colour and it always felt soothing to stay in there. Kook grabbed his phone and called Jackson to know what the elder wanted him to do. 

_ "Hyung?" _

_ "Have you arrived?" _

_ "Yes, I'm already here." _

_ "Great." _ You could hear the smile on his lips.  _ "Head for the office." _

Jungkook obeyed the order and went to Namjoon's office, which stood on the corner of the house. It was a place he was only allowed to go in if Namjoon personally invited him. And sometimes he would just keep guard at the door, not even being allowed inside. Jackson told him the password for the room and he typed it in. 

**0 6 1 3**

The door opened and he entered the room. It looked exactly like Junmyeon's office. All white with shelves filled with books and artwork. The wooden desk at the end of the room made it even more beautifully decorated. He had to admit it - Namjoon had very good taste when it came to decoration. 

_ "Have you entered?" _ Jackson was impatient.

_ "Yes." _ Jungkook rolled his eyes. 

_ "Good." _ He was laughing.  _ "Now go to the white cabinet on the left of the room and open it." _

Jungkook obeyed his orders and walked towards the white cabinet that stood beside the window. As soon as he opened the doors, he was caught off guard. It was a state of the art safe and it had so many buttons, that Jungkook was confused. How did this thing even open? 

" _ Have you opened it?" _

_ "Yes." _

_ "Good boy."  _ Jackson seemed to be smiling.  _ "Press the small red button at the top." _

Jungkook did as he was told and the safe made a faint sound. 

_ "Puppy, the password is a vocal combination."  _

_ "Vocal combination?"  _ He was utterly confused. 

_ "You will have to say a sentence, so pay attention and repeat after me, ok?" _

_ "Yes, hyung." _

_ "Isn’t a night view such a cruel thing?" _

_ Isn’t a night view such a cruel thing? _

Jungkook repeated the sentence and the safe made a crack sound. He turned the lever on the front and it was open. He would never have guessed that Namjoon would put such a deep sentence as the password for his safe, but then again Namjoon was a smart man. Smarter than most people, so it was not weird for him to choose such a combination. 

_ "As soon as you open it, grab a black folder at the bottom of the safe. Close it and leave." _ Jackson ordered. 

_ "Yes, hyung." _

The call ended and Jungkook was left with a fat black folder in his hands. The word curious could not even begin to describe what the young man was feeling at that moment. He would definitely have a look at it later. Jungkook still had errands to run in the big house in order to make it perfect for the event at the end of the week. The house would harbor 5 heads of the main families and their trusted men, so everything had to be absolutely flawless. 

It would be the first time Jungkook would see his brother in a long time. Him and Seokjin weren't exactly on speaking terms, but he did miss him. Things had been too chaotic and he knew that seeing Jin would give him a nostalgic feeling. Calming even. Kook shook his head and went back to his room, storing the black folder inside his bag. 

The first task he had was to make sure the power was running correctly in the two guest houses. He walked out of the house, freezing with the cold air and headed down to the first house. The doors were unlocked and he quickly made his way inside. After testing every single switch and socket in the house, he confirmed that indeed everything seemed okay with the electricity. He now needed to go to the second house. A fast way to exit the first house was through the sauna in the back of the building. 

He opened the door to the sauna and entered it, the cold biting into his skin. Jungkook looked around and he could see the thermal spring pool through the small window on the sauna door. For a second he wished he could let everything go and enjoy that pool for a few hours. Too bad that was impossible at the moment. 

Jungkook finished the second house check and went back to the main building. The cold had become even worse and he was now angrier than before.  _ Fuck Jimin _ . He then decided it was time to go to his room. It was already dark outside and he had to go back to Seoul first thing in the morning.Relaxing was needed. 

He sat on top of the purple covers and stared at his bag, the black folder peaking out. He really was going to act like a curious cat and open it. There was no one there and he didn't actually care what happened. It would probably just be a bunch of business documents. Namjoon would not store anything that was too important so far away. Right?

Kook stood up and picked up his bag from the floor. The black folder was now in his hands and he had a stupid smile on his face. He sat back on the edge of the bed and flicked through the documents inside. You would think that inside that folder there would be some photos, documents that were sketchy, or even something exciting. No, nothing. Weirdly enough, there was literally nothing inside the black folder. Not a single piece of paper or photo. 

Jungkook felt stupid and disappointed. He shook the folder and held it upside down, shaking it again. And then something fell on the floor. Kook looked down and saw that it was a pendant. A star pendant. The small jewel had rhinestones encrusted into it, silver and yellow. It seemed extremely expensive. Why would Namjoon even need that? It was probably just an important piece of jewelry and he wanted to wear it.  _ Stupid _ . 

\--

He woke up the next day as soon as the alarm went off. It was extremely early and the sun was still rising. Jungkook stretched his arms and rolled in bed. It would have been a nice morning if there wasn't a whole Kim Taehyung sitting on the chair opposite the bed, knife in his hand. 

"Good morning,  _ puppy _ ." The nickname seemed to be venom coming out of his mouth. 

_ Motherfucker.  _

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Heard you were looking for me." He pricked his finger with the tip of the blade. 

"I was." Jungkook finally sat down. 

"Want to kill me?" Taehyung put the knife against his own neck. 

"Yes." He gritted his teeth. 

"Well," Taehyung stood up. "You will have to be sure to kill me for good. Otherwise, I will be coming back for you, baby."

"Don't worry." Jungkook crossed his arms. "I don't plan on leaving your head in place."

"Adorable."

Taehyung strode down the room and got the folder that Jungkook had retrieved from the safe. He opened it and grabbed the star pendant that was safely stored inside. 

"I'll be taking this, baby."

"Jackson will come for you if you do." Jungkook opened a sly smile. 

"I'm counting on that." Taehyung's smile was always creepy. 

Jungkook had no intention of letting that man leave that house alive, but he had to find a way to kill Taehyung without getting himself killed in the process. He silently began to turn in the bed, ready to get up. Taehyung seemed to be staring at him, but did nothing as the young man moved. Jungkook was finally up and now the two men were staring at each other. Taehyung had already stored his knife back in his pants, so Kook believed this to be his best shot at killing the other man. He lunged his body forward and grabbed Taehyung by the neck. 

He had him in his hands, he could kill him now. Taehyung was laughing as he pushed the elder into the wall and slammed his head back. Jungkook choked him, his fingers digging into the flesh. Still, the man did not stop laughing. It was maddening. How could someone laugh at a moment like this? But then again, Taehyung was no ordinary man. 

Before Jungkook could finish the job and end the other man's life, the elder grabbed him by the arm and twisted it, forcing him to let go. They were now involved in a physical fight and Jungkook was not so sure that he could win.  _ Shit _ . The knife was back in Taehyung's hand and now Kook had to dodge the incoming attacks of its blade. Until he didn't. 

Taehyung's blade cut through the fabric and into his skin, blood began to flow. Jungkook flinched and stepped back as he looked at his bleeding shoulder. He was in pain and Taehyung could see it in his face. The flesh was deeply cut and he knew he had to stop the bleeding to prevent some real damage. The elder seemed to have heard his thoughts and put his knife down.

"You can stop your little act, baby." Taehyung scoffed. "I don't plan on killing you now."

"But I do." Jungkook lunged forward. 

Kook was strong, but he was no match for Taehyung's agility. As soon as his body went in the elder's direction, Taehyung moved out of the way letting Kook pass him by and his hands were readily on his neck, pinning him against the wall. His head hit the wall making a loud bang. He was dizzy and breathless. Taehyung was choking him hard and he could only accept the situation. 

"You like this, don't you baby?" He was smiling again. 

Jungkook was silent. 

"Let's make a deal," His tongue sliding against the skin of Jungkook's cheek. "You let me go now and later I will give you what you so desperately want."

Jungkook was defeated. From the moment Taehyung had held his neck, he could feel the delicious burn he had felt before. It was just like a drug- whenever he got it, he would want to drown in it. This was that man's power and Jungkook could do nothing but accept it. His hands were at his sides, not daring to move. Taehyung grabbed his knife again, still keeping hold of Kook's neck. The tip of the blade traveled through his face and stopped at his cheek. 

In the same place Taehyung had licked, he slid the knife and made a cut into Jungkook's face. The blood began to flow slightly. It was not a deep cut, but it did make Kook flinch with the pain. He did not dare to take his eyes off that man, watching his every move but not daring to touch him. He couldn't. 

Taehyung let go of the young man and he could breathe again, painting hard. He stepped back and turned to leave. Jungkook did not make a single move to stop him. The other man left and Jungkook, who was once standing against the wall, fell to the ground hitting his knees on the carpet. What the fuck had just happened? 

After a while, he finally stood up and picked his phone, which was lying on his bed. He dialed the familiar number and waited for the person to pick up. 

_ "What is it, puppy?" _

_ "Taehyung showed up." _ Jungkook closed his eyes. 

_ "Oh, did he?" _ Jackson seemed to be very pleased with the news. 

_ "You knew he was going to come?" _

_ "Yes." _ Jackson laughed. 

_ "You used me as bait?" _

_ "Yes."  _ He sounded annoyed.  _ "Something wrong with that, puppy?" _

_ You sadistic motherfucker. _

_ "No, hyung." _

_ "Good, head back." _

Jungkook managed to patch himself up and headed back to Seoul as he was ordered. He did not know what made him angrier- being used by Jackson or being turned on by Kim Taehyung. He was now sure that he needed to seek medical assistance asap. He headed to Namjoon's house to meet both him and Jackson and discuss what had happened, but he knew that they would not tell him the whole story. 

"Your shoulder okay?" Namjoon seemed genuinely concerned. 

"Yes, sir."

"That boy is just a fan of the drama, isn't he?" Namjoon laughed lightly.

"..." 

"Well, did he take the pendant?"

"He did."

"Jackson," Namjoon turned to face the other man. "I trust that you are on top of this."

"Yes, yes." Jackson sat down. 

Jungkook was still standing and Jackson gave him a look that meant it was time for him to leave. He obeyed and left the two men to talk. Jungkook was still mad at them for using him as bait, like he didn't mean anything. He knew they did not care about him that much, but still he felt wronged. 

Kook walked down the hallway and soon he was back at his beloved library. The silence and warmth made him forget about whatever he was feeling at the moment and he just sat down in one of the armchairs and closed his eyes as he tilted his head back. Jungkook actually slept for a while before Jackson woke him up with a kiss on his forehead. He opened his eyes and stared back at the elder, disgust on his face.  _ So annoying _ . 

Jungkook did not bother to say anything and just stood up and left, heading towards Jackson's car. As soon as he got in, Jackson stared at him with a dark face. 

"All the families have arrived."

"And?" Jungkook knew he was being a brat. 

Jackson slapped his face and then held it in his hand making Jungkook stare at him. 

"Don't be reckless with you words, puppy."

"..."

"We have plans for tonight." Jackson started the car. "With your brother."

Seokjin had finally arrived? He was going to see his brother for the first time in months and he was trying hard to hide his excitement. That day had been a bit too much since the early hours and he was finally breathing again now that he had heard Jin was going to meet them that night. 

\--

Jungkook was back inside Jackson's car. They were heading to  _ Ppalgan _ again, but this time the event seemed much better. As soon as Jungkook stepped inside, he felt somewhat happy. They had arrived later than they normally did, so the club had a few clients roaming around. It wasn't the weekend, so it wasn't packed. But Jungkook liked to see the dance floor with people dancing with their carefree expressions. He wished he could join them. 

Both men headed upstairs and this time, Jackson went past their usual table and into the secluded part of the floor. They went into the small black corridor that contained the private rooms. Since there were people in the other room, it was good that they headed into one of those rooms. Less chance of something happening. 

They finally stopped in front of the  _ Sae _ Room, Jackson's favorite. As soon as Jungkook entered the room, the blood from his face was drained and all that was left was a complexion devoid of life. Indeed he saw his brother, but not the one he was expecting. Jimin was sitting inside with his legs crossed and a glass of wine in his hand. He was not alone. Jimin was accompanied by two familiar faces, Kim Taehyung and Min Yoongi. 


	14. FEEL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: LIGHT SEXUAL CONTENT/USE OF DRUGS/GORE REFERENCES/SUICIDAL REFERENCES)

Jungkook was not expecting to see any of those men in that room, especially Taehyung. After the events of that morning, he was sure that he would not see the other man for a long time. Maybe ever. Now he was supposed to enter the lion's den and deal with all those fucked up people. Life was just being petty right now. 

Jackson entered the room first and bowed down to both Jimin and Yoongi, he did not pay any attention to Taehyung. The other man did not bother to even get up to acknowledge Jackson. Jungkook knew both men harboured deep hatred for each other, but right now it was loud and clear. This meant something was about to happen and it would not be pretty. Jungkook started to wonder if he would leave that room alive.

The room smelled sweet and metallic. _ Taehyung _ . He would have to endure a whole night of that foul smell and Jungkook was not happy about it. He hated that smell with all he had and would always stay away from it, but somehow it always seemed to find him back. 

Jimin was standing up and as soon as he saw his brother, he walked. up to him and hugged him dearly. Jungkook was taken aback but did not dare to let it show. He did not know what he felt at that moment towards his own brother, but he was sure that it was not nice. Jimin had announced his arrival with that disgusting lilly bouquet and Jungkook knew that it was a warning. Maybe it was to warn him of this encounter. 

"Kookie! It is so nice to see you again." Jimin's tone was soft. 

"You too, hyung." Jungkook forced a smile. 

"Did you get my flowers?" 

"Yes, I loved them." Jungkook was trying hard not to smash his brother's face on the table. "Thank you, hyung."

Jimin had a wide smile and for a second it reminded him of the horrid dream he had had the other day. When he saw his and Seokjin's mutilated faces. Jungkook's gaze turned to Taehyung. He was sitting opposite Jimin, therefore, Kook had his back to him for the entire time. That was when he noticed the malicious smile on his lips. Jungkook knew what it was and he knew the night would be interesting, not in a good way. 

"Taehyung-ssi, a pleasure." Jungkook stared at the elder. 

"Nice to see you again, Jungkook-ssi." The smile grew stronger. 

Jackson pointed at the armchair beside Taehyung and Jungkook unwillingly sat down. Jimin was sitting beside Yoongi on a small green couch at the back of the room. Jackson sat down in an armchair in front of both Taehyung and Jimin, crossing his legs in the process.  _ So dramatic _ . 

The room was now awfully quiet, maybe because the murderous aura was extremely strong. Both Jackson and Taehyung always exuded a miasma of dark energy filled with killing intent and Jungkook had grown used to it. But at this moment, every single person in that room also seemed to be exhaling such aura. It was weird. 

"Jackson-ssi, it has been a long time since we saw each other." Jimin sipped on his wine. 

"Indeed it has." Jackson had a disgustingly malicious smile on his face, almost sexual.

"How has Seoul been treating you?"

"Not better than you." His smile grew wider and more malicious. 

_ Definitely sexual. _

Jimin let out a small laugh and turned to look at Yoongi. It was as if he was telling the other man not to worry. Why would he do that? Jungkook felt as if he was starting to see a picture form in front of him, yet he did not know what it was. His line of thought was broken by a woman that knocked on the door and let herself in. She had a small tray on which were Jackson's infamous drink and Jungkook's usual glass of whiskey. 

Jimin seemed extremely intrigued by the black liquid, just like Jungkook did when he first saw it. He leaned closer and looked at it for a while. 

"You still drink this thing?" Jimin contorted his face. 

"Why wouldn't I?" Jackson took a sip from his glass. 

"Because it's disgusting." Jimin sat back again. 

Jackson only laughed and continued to drink his black drink. Yoongi had been silent since they'd arrived and was now staring at Jimin with an angry face. It would probably seem crazy, but it almost seemed as if he was jealous of the interactions between Jimin and Jackson.  _ Was he? _

Jimin was still staring at the glass that Jackson had near his mouth, still showing disgust. But he quickly changed his focus to Jungkook. He knew they would have a passive-aggressive interaction at some point and the time seemed to have arrived. Jimin had a sweet smile that Jungkook knew all too well to be fake. He was loading his gun and it was aimed at his younger brother. 

"Kookie, darling." He took out his pack of smokes. "What have you been up to?"

"Just working." He looked at Jackson, who had a wicked smile on his lips. "Nothing much."

"Has Jackson made you do a lot of his dirty work?" His eyebrow was raised. 

"No." Jungkook pulled out his own cigarettes. "I do as I am told."

Jackson laughed out loud as he set his glass back on the small table beside him. He looked at Jungkook and seemed to be extremely pleased. Why did that look always make him feel good? It was not as if he was being told that he did a good job. It was more than that. It was as if he was being praised by the most important person in the world. Jackson wasn't that person, but he sure made Jungkook feel like he was. 

"Such an obedient boy." Jimin laughed. 

"..."

Jimin was definitely having too much fun doing this. He was teasing and that was something he was very good at. His brother would stop at nothing to make people feel humiliated.. He had a way with words that most people didn't and Jimin would always use that in his favor. Jungkook had seen it for most of his life when his older brothers would fight. He knew that Jimin had learned that from Seokjin, but after a while Jungkook could see that his brother was even better at it than his eldest brother. 

"Taehyung seems to be very obedient too." Jimin shifted focus "Isn't he, Yoongi darling?"

"Indeed he is." Yoongi was still as cold as a stone. 

"He will do  _ anything _ you tell him?"

"Does he have a choice?" Yoongi scoffed.

This hurt Jungkook more than he cared to admit. He believed everyone had a choice and to hear that someone as young as Taehyung could only do as he was told, made him feel sad on the inside. Taehyung was a mad man and a psychopath, but he was still a human being that was in charge of his life and emotions. Yoongi did not share the same ideas as Jungkook and to him Taehyung was just a pawn. A very important one. 

"Is that true, Taehyung-ssi?" Jimin asked. 

"Anything means  _ anything _ ."

"Oh, loyalty." Jimin laughed. "It's not a common thing anymore."

"This is not about loyalty, Jimin-ssi." Jackson interrupted Taehyung. "It's about common interests. This relationship will only work until his desires change. Am I wrong, Taehyung-ssi?"

"No." Taehyung replied dryly. 

"Taehyung is such a bad boy." Jimin blew a cloud of smoke in his face. "Makes you want to follow him into his own darkness."

"If you are willing to come." Taehyung shifted his gaze to Jungkook. "I will not stop you."

Jungkook swallowed hard and took yet another long gulp from his glass. It slid down his throat but it felt weird. There was a hint of bitterness in it that it had never had before. Jungkook's focus faltered and he stared down at his own glass. Something was wrong and he could feel it. When he looked at Jackson, he knew that something was definitely off. The elder had his glass raised and gestured for a toast. Jungkook felt loose. Like he was floating in some sort of drug induced high. 

"And you, Jungkook." Yoongi asked in a curious tone. "Are you loyal to your family?"

"I am." He replied coldly. 

"Oh, so you would do anything for your brothers, Kookie?" Jimin was having his fun.

"Yes." Jungkook was only half lying this time. 

"Would you" Jimin stood up and walked towards Taehyung. "slice your wrists?"

Taehyung handed Jimin the knife and he took out the blade. This was hurtful. Very much so. Jimin was the only person that knew Jungkook had tried to end his own life and he even helped his younger brother to get rid of the scars. So this was just evil. Jungkook knew why he had said such a venomous comment and he knew he had to play along. Still something was bubbling inside of him and he was not sure if it was sadness or anger. Jungkook extended his hand, a bit wobbly. He made sure his wrist was showing and that his brother could see the marks on it. 

"Would you like me to?" He was serious. 

Jungkook was definitely not himself right now. Something had been put in his drink and he could feel it. He was high on something he was not sure what it was, but it was  _ good _ . He felt good. It was as if he was fearless and Jimin could probably see it in his eyes, since his expression changed into something a bit more somber. He did not push the subject further and laughed his way back into his seat. Too close to Yoongi again. Could it be that his brother's lover was Min Yoongi, the  _ Wang _ of Daegu? This sounded impossible and yet it was plausible. 

Jackson interrupted his line of thought as he stood up and left the room, not saying a word. What had happened? Jungkook was already on his feet and followed the elder, closing the door behind him in an instant. 

" _ Hyung _ ?"

"What is it?"

"You left." Jungkook really sounded whiny. "Is something wrong?"

"I have to make a phone call." Jackson took out his phone. "Do  _ not  _ let any of them leave."

Jungkook shook his head but he knew he was just part of some plan. He did not really care anymore.  _ Fuck it _ . If Jackson wanted to use him as a pawn, then so be it. He would eventually be used too and Jungkook was anxious for that moment. Suddenly, the door behind him slammed shut. He turned to see Kim Taehyung staring at him. What did he want? Jungkook stared at the man and he was bubbling again. Whatever he took made him feel even hotter and made Kim Taehyung seem one hundred times more irresistible, especially with that blue shirt that had too many buttons opened. Jungkook was staring and Taehyung liked what he saw. 

"Are you okay, baby?"

"Fine." Jungkook cleared his throat. "What do you want?"

"So many things." Taehyung was stepping closer. "I am quite greedy."

The space between the two men was almost gone and Jungkook's head was spinning. His breathing had become erratic, his back was against the wall, his heart beating faster.This just screamed sexual tension and he knew it. Still, he did not want to break free. He could continue in that place for as long as it was possible. 

"You know," Taehyung leaned in even closer. "Obedience suits you."

And the smell, that scent that Jungkook hated so much was making him drunk on Taehyung. He was so close, his nose was filled with the weird scent that man exuded and he was almost begging for it. Begging for more. Why would he do such a thing? Taehyung's smell was what proved that he was not someone you should play with, be around to. Still, at that moment, that very smell was calling out to him. 

Jungkook was silent but he did not have to say anything to the other man. His body was telling the whole story. His lips were being bitten by his teeth, he was panting and he did not try to stop Taehyung from getting closer, his face a mere inches from his. That was it. Jungkook was sold to this man a long time ago, but now he had finally admitted it and could not hold it in anymore. He leaned closer and their lips were locked.  _ So good _ . 

Taehyung did not stop him, instead he pushed on Jungkook, hand on his waist. Locking him into place. This was it. Nothing else seemed to exist, just the two of them in that cramped corridor. His mouth was now open and the other man's tongue invaded it making it cramped. Tongues intertwined and the heat rose even more. Jungkook was now feeling so many things that he did not even dare to move. 

Their hips moved together and Kook could feel the arousal take over him. Taehyung's body was dangerously close and he wanted him even closer. Jungkook took his hand and pulled on the other man's hip, making him growl. His kiss was so strong that poor Jungkook was feeling weak. He was weaker than Taehyung, but still he did not think this man would be this aggressive even in an intimate moment like this. 

Taehyung would bite on his lips and he could tell that those places would get swollen later.  _ Deliciously swollen _ . He kissed the other man harder than before, making Jungkook pant even more. He would moan every time that men grinded on him during their kiss and it made everything even hotter. Kim Taehyung owned him in so many ways that Jungkook had lost count. 

His eyes were closed and he could feel the heat from Taehyung's body. They were so close that they could occupy the same space, ignoring physics. He wanted this so much, he wanted  _ him _ so much. There was not even a way to describe it with words. Indeed this was what he so desperately wanted and Taehyung was surely giving it to him.  _ More. Please more, sir. _ Jungkook was whining so much he was almost pathetic. 

_ Jungkook! _

_ Jungkook! _

The young man opened his eyes and could see Taehyung staring at him, a confused expression in his face. Jungkook had just imagined the whole situation and he could tell that things had gotten weird. Taehyung could clearly see that Jungkook was not at all ok. He stepped closer and his hand was now on Jungkook's shoulder, helping him stand. 

"What have you taken?" Taehyung seemed mad. 

"I don't know." Kook was confused and his head was too cloudy. 

"When did you take it?"

"I did." He clumsily shook his head. "Not know I had taken something."

Taehyung growled and pulled the boy back into the room with him. He sat him down on his original place and picked the whiskey glass from his side, setting it on the small table at the center of the room. He was mad and Jungkook could tell. Yoongi and Jimin were talking amicably and did not spare the duo a look. There was definitely  _ something _ between those two. Jungkook just did not want to think that Yoongi had the cock Jimin wanted so desperately suck. He remembered the night in Seokjin's office and shook his head. 

Jackson got back into the room and smiled when he looked at Jungkook. He was the one that did it, Jungkook could tell. But why would Jackson drug him? Probably just to mess with him. Yoongi was staring at the man that had just entered and let out a smile.  _ That's a first. _

"Should we make this night more interesting?" He said as he took out a small bullet-like bottle that had a small golden spoon attached to it by a golden chain. 

_ Coke. _

Jungkook knew what it was and he could see Jackson was annoyed. Kook knew that Jackson was against his people doing drugs, especially coke. He was in charge of the scouts, the people that sold the drugs, yet he would kill any of his trusted men that decided to have fun with those same drugs he profited from. It was controversial, but that was Jackson. Nothing was ever simple with him. 

Jimin was smiling and you could tell he had plans forming in his head. Yoongi took out the golden lid of the bottle and dipped the small spoon inside. He took out a small amount and quickly snorted it, closing one nostril and inhaling the powder with the other. Jimin smiled at the sight. He did drugs? Not only did he do, but did it so elegantly, no one would even tell that he was doing such a lowly thing. _Typical_. 

Both Taehyung and Jackson seemed extremely bothered by the sight but did not say anything, just stared. Yoongi and Jimin were giggling like two stupid teenage girls and Jungkook was troubled by the sight. They definitely had something going, still he did not dare to think any further or just couldn't. Jungkook was already high. 

Jimin stared at his baby brother for a second and took the small bottle in his hand. He dipped the golden spoon in and took out a small amount, staring at it with a malicious smile on his face. Jimin stood up and strode in his carefree way over to his brother. They were now staring at each other. He extended his hand and offered it to Jungkook. The young man had never had cocaine in his life. This was a tricky situation and he did not know how to say no, making him anxious. 

"You should not say no to your brother, Kookie." The smile had become gruesome. 

"I-I..."Jungkook stuttered.

Before he could do anything, Kim Taehyung took the spoon in his hand and snorted the whole content, making sure he did not leave a trace of coke in that tiny spoon. He stared at Jimin, blood in his eyes. Could be the drug in his system, but Jungkook could almost feel as if he was being protected. He stared at Taehyung in disbelief. 

"What a gentleman." Jimin scoffed

"Or an asshole." Yoongi was smiling at Taehyung. 

"Maybe you should let him try it, Taehyung-ssi." Jimin was staring at him.

"Don't want to have to deal with a dead body." He adjusted himself in his seat. "He's weak."

"Is he?" Jimin went back to his own seat. "He seems very strong to me. Have you seen him shirtless?" He laughed out loud. 

This was just getting too weird and out of control. Jungkook could not even focus on what was happening in front of him. Too much was happening and then a second glass of whiskey showed up in front of him. He looked up and a young lady had her hand extended offering him the glass. Jungkook did not say no. He took it in his hands and took a big gulp of it. No bitterness.  _ Thank god _ . 

It did not take him long to get extremely drunk though. He was already on his fourth glass and the conversation had gotten gruesome. Yoongi and Jackson were back to their dick-sizing about whose death had been worse. They were talking about people Jungkook did not know, so that just made the conversation even more pathetic. 

"He was strong." Jackson laughed. "But his head came off so easily."

"Better dead than alive." Yoongi scoffed. "He was an annoying fuck."

"Not as annoying as the old Min." Jackson puffed on his cigarette. 

"Yeah." Yoongi was laughing. "Thank god you killed him."

Jungkook was drunk and had no filter whatsoever. He had been staring at Taehyung ever since his little daydream earlier. The other man's mood had been sour ever since. He really wanted to come closer, wanted to touch him. Not in a dream, in real life. 

"Why do you smell like that?" Jungkook leaned over. 

"Excuse me?" Taehyung arched his brow. 

"Your smell." Jungkook scratched his nose. "It's toxic."

"What do I smell like, Jungkook-ssi?" His smile was back. 

"Flowers." Jungkook inhaled. "And blood."

No one was paying attention to their little conversation, so Jungkook could go this far. Maybe not a safe move, considering who he was talking to. But it did not matter, he had given up on his safety the moment he imagined him and Taehyung together.  _ Fuck it. _

"Well." Taehyung was even closer. "Do you like it?"

"Yes." Jungkook blurted out. 

He was drunk and leaning closer, Taehyung did not move from his place but he was indeed closer than he should. The interest became stronger. It was as if Jungkook wanted to put his nose in that man's neck and breath in that toxic smell of his, fill his lungs with that scent and just surf on the high caused by it. This was wrong, but he truly wanted it. He wanted Kim Taehyung. 

Jungkook extended his hand and was moving it towards the other man. He wanted to touch him, know he was real. But just as he tried, he was stopped. Jackson. The elder looked at him with fire in his eyes. This was bad. The grip on his hand was getting tighter and it hurt, yet Jungkook did not dare to flinch. 

"I think that is enough for a night." Jackson pulled on the boy. "We should get going."

This was not open for a debate and Jungkook knew that. If Jackson said they were leaving, there was no other option rather than leave. Still, he did not feel like it. He wanted to stay, he wanted to finish what he had started. Kook's heart tightened and all he could feel was longing. He longed for Kim Taehyung.  _ Shit _ . 

Jungkook was pulled out of his daze and stood up beside Jackson, bowing to the other people inside the room.

"Leaving so soon?" Jimin whined. 

"I'm sure you will continue to have fun even without us." Jackson smiled at him. 

Jimin smiled back and Yoongi made his disgusted face again.  _ Jealousy _ . Jungkook could see it Shit, everyone could see it. But he did not dare to admit it, there was no way his brother was fucking that drug lord. Jungkook and Jackson bowed down again and headed for the door. The elder exited first and Jungkook turned to see Taehyung one last time. He was too deep into the rabbit's hole and he knew it. He smiled. The door closed and Jungkook was alone in the hallway with Jackson. 

"Are you happy, puppy?"

"I'm okay."

"You seem," Jackson stepped closer. "Very happy."

"..."

"Did he make you happy?" Jackson was smiling.

"Who?" Jungkook dodged. 

"Don't be cheeky," Jackson was holding Jungkook's cheeks, making him pout. "It doesn't suit you."

"I'm sorry." 

"Let's go, puppy."

Jungkook followed Jackson down the hall, but he knew that something was off. The elder seemed to be having fun only a few minutes ago, but now he looked angry and distant from him. Jungkook did not want to think that it had something to do with Taehyung, because that would mean it was pure jealousy. Such feelings made Jackson almost human and that made Jungkook uneasy. Maybe because he would ignore the psychotic side of Jackson and see him as a true human being. Someone he actually cared for. He had never talked about this, still he felt it. Deep down to his bones, he had always felt like that. A wave of uneasiness took over his body and he shivered lightly. He stopped. 

"Why did we leave?" Jungkook was filterless.

"Since when do I have to explain myself to you?" Jackson stopped and turned, he was angry. 

"I want to stay."

"Why?"

"Since when do  _ I  _ have to explain myself to you?" Jungkook was being a brat and he knew it. 

It didn't matter anymore, he was done with all of that. Jungkook was tired of playing that stupid passive-agressive act with Jackson. Kook had discovered a new drug that gave him a much better high and he wanted that,  _ needed _ it. His interactions with Jackson were no longer enough and he knew it, Kook just did not want to admit it. Saying that out loud would mean he had chosen a side. The war was about to begin and Jungkook had decided to choose the side he felt was the strongest. 

He had told Jimin he would not pick a side, he would be on his own. That had been true up until this point. Up until he had met Kim Taehyung. He knew Jackson had his twisted little feelings for his puppy, but this would not stop him from harming Jungkook. The problem was, that same feeling would cause him to harm Taehyung. So at that specific moment, Jungkook chose his side. He chose Taehyung.

"Excuse me?" Jackson was shocked. 

"Did I not make myself clear?" Kook was crossing a very dangerous line.

"What the  _ fuck _ do you think you are doing?"

"What does it look like?" Jungkook hissed. "I am doing what  _ I _ want."

"And why do you want to stay?"

"Because I do."

"Does Kim Taehyung have something to do with it?" Jackson tried to seem calm, failing miserably. 

"Jackson," Jungkook smiled. "Are you jealous?"

He knew what was coming, he had crossed the line. Drugged Jungkook was insane, he truly was. Jackson did not hold back and pushed him against the wall, choking him hard. Jungkook knew this was going to be his answer and it meant yes. Jackson was jealous of him and Taehyung and it was as clear as day. Kook wanted to know that, he  _ needed _ to know. Jackson was only human and that meant he had feelings. Jungkook never crossed that line out of fear, but now the drugs had made him feel invincible. 

"And what if I am, puppy?" The grip was tighter. "What are you going to do about it?"

Jungkook wheezed but said nothing. 

"Good choice." Jackson loosened the grip, neck still in his hand.

"Let go of me, Jackson." Jungkook hissed. "You don't own me."

Jackson instantly let go. Jungkook had broken his charm and he knew it. You could say their relationship was abusive, Kook would not deny it. But he did not want it anymore, he wanted something else.  _ Someone _ else. As crazy as it may seem, he also knew Jackson had feelings. Saying that, would hurt him in a sentimental way. It would mean he had lost and Jungkook knew he was not going to let go so easily. 

"What?"

"You don't own me, Jackson." Jungkook pushed further, aiming for the dark heart he knew Jackson had. "You are just a sad fuck who wants to own things you can't."

"You think I wanted to  _ own _ you?" Jackson seemed too human, it was scary.

"Didn't you?" Jungkook furthered himself even more. "Do you even know how to do it any other way?"

"..."

"You just wanted the high power and control would give you." Jungkook wasn't done. "You are feeling guilty that you are unable to do anything else, unable to actually feel something."

"Am I such a monster?" Jackson was weak. 

"Jackson, you shouldn't try to look human." Jungkook was done with him. "It does not suit you."


	15. REFUSE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: ATTEMPTED RAPE/CUT KINK)

Nothing was the same after that night. Jungkook had left Jackson behind and they only met two days later due to work. Namjoon had no idea what had happened between them, but neither let it show. They were still professional when it came to their work, but apart from that, Jungkook and Jackson did not speak nor look at each other. All ties had been severed and it was obvious that both men were pained. 

Jungkook also did not see Taehyung after that night and he had no excuses to try and go see him. He was stuck in a pathetic situation that did not seem it would go away so easily. The Families meeting was already ongoing and Jungkook was working even harder than before. Everything was a mess.

There was a constant pain in Jungkook's heart. It did not fade with sleep, alcohol or even with the pills he had gotten at the pharmacy. At some point he grew accustomed to it, pain was part of his life now. The reason for it was unknown, too. He had listed all possible reasons, but none of those had easy solutions. He thought of Taehyung and the longing he felt, he thought about his family being in danger, about what had happened between him and Jackson. All of those matters could not be solved so easily, so he decided to endure the pain. 

He had managed to stay away from the first official meeting on the first day, but now there was no escape. Jungkook had to go with Jackson and Namjoon to the country house. Kook would have to deal with Jackson, even though he was getting the silent treatment from the elder. That was not entirely a bad thing, it even made things easier. But with someone like Jackson, who loves noise, silence was scary. Jungkook was certain that at some point Jackson would explode and he would be the victim. 

"Have you talked with the chief of security?" Jackson asked as soon as they set foot on the property. 

"Yes,  _ hyung _ ." 

"Good." He turned to leave. "Go get settled."

This much interaction would be enough, but Jungkook could not let go. He was alone with Jackson again and he needed the confirmation that the other man would not kill him, yet. 

"Jackson!" His voice was one tone louder than he expected. 

"What?" 

_ When will you kill me? _

"Nevermind." Jungkook turned to leave. 

He could hear the faint growl Jackson let out under his breath and Jungkook felt a shiver go up his spine. Death was coming and it was coming fast. There was no way Jackson would let something like this slide. Not only had Jungkook disrespected him, he had also humiliated the man. He was a complete asshole to a psychotic killer that loved hearing people scream.  _ How smart, Jeon Jungkook.  _ He decided to head to his room, the purple one, and stay there until he was summoned again.  _ Safer. _

The only thing Jungkook had to do that night was attend the dinner Namjoon had organized for the guests. He knew he would have to see all the people he just did not want to deal with. There was a faint knock on his door and Kook got up, walking slowly towards it. As he opened, he was greeted by Jackson. The sight made him swallow hard. 

"Get dressed and be at the dining room in 5 minutes." 

"Ok,  _ hyung _ ."

"Don't be fucking late." He growled as he turned away and left. 

At the same time Jungkook was feeling bad about what had happened between the two of them, he was also mad. Jackson's attitude was not making it easier and all he wanted was to punch him in the face. Still he couldn't and he only obeyed, turning away and closing the door behind him. 

Kook changed his clothes in just a few minutes and soon he was in the dining room, standing beside Jackson. Namjoon was busy doing politics and talking to the members of the families. Jungkook was not in the mood to talk to anyone and he certainly made it very obvious with the face he had. He suddenly felt a sharp pain on his ribs and looked down to see Jackson stabbing him with his index. 

"Get that look off your face." He said between gritted teeth. "You look like an asshole."

Jungkook did not answer, but he softened his features and made it seem as if he was pleased to be there. He wasn't. Jimin and Yoongi were talking to each other as always, raising Jungkook's suspicion. Still, he did not rest his eyes on them for long. He was now staring at Namjoon, who was talking to Hoseok and Joo Hyun. The three seemed to be having a very carefree conversation, but still Jungkook found it weird. Yoongi was a very scary man, but when he heard Jung Hoseok's name, he immediately gave up. Still the man was always smiling and laughing. He seemed to be a very nice person. 

There was another familiar face in the room. Min Ho, was accompanying the head of the Incheon family, Kim Ryewook. A very peculiar and short man. There were also the heads of the Ulsan and Daejeon families. The room was full- still Jungkook felt as if there were people missing.  _ Seokjin _ . The thought of his older brother made his heart ache again and he struggled to not clench his chest, discomfort all over his face. Jackson stared at him and raised an eyebrow. Jungkook ignored the sharp blades his eyes were throwing at him. 

"Jungkook-ssi!" Kang Seulgi approached him. "It's been a while."

"It certainly has."

"Has Jackson been treating you well?" She smiled at the elder. 

"He has." Jungkook wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible.

Jungkook had seen her again a few days before and was not very happy to encounter her or her boss, Bae Joo Hyun, the  _ Yowang _ of Daegu. Seulgi was the one who had held him at gunpoint in his hotel room when he and Jimin had been visiting Daegu, so he was not very fond of either of them. Still, he was working and could not act as if he was bothered by her. 

"I haven't seen your brother." She was smiling. "Has something  _ happened _ to him?"

"Park Jimin is in charge of representing the Busan Family." He forced a smile. "If you want to talk business, you can speak directly with him." Jungkook pointed at where Jimin was cackling with Yoongi, the sight making his stomach turn. 

Seulgi looked in their direction and Kook could see the disgusted look on her face. She always referred to Jimin as "fairy" and Jungkook knew it was because of his sexual orientation. This had always made him angry and disgusted at people who discriminated against him like that. Jimin was indeed a scary man when he wanted to and Kook knew that, still this woman dared to belittle him. 

He knew this was not an easy world and it was especially harder on those who did not follow the standard norm. The underworld of crime was probably not easy on her and her boss either, since they were women. But she could scare any man in that room and make them bow to her feet, she was famous for that. Jungkook respected her, but it was as far as he would go. 

Seulgi smiled at both of them and excused herself.  _ Finally _ . Jungkook decided it was time for a drink, even though he had not eaten much yet. He walked towards the bar that they had set in the room and asked for whiskey, his go to drink. The bartender smiled at him as she poured him the drink and Jungkook did not bother to smile back. He was too tired and annoyed. 

"Are you sure?" A deep voice sounded behind him.

As Jungkook turned, he knew exactly who it was. Kim Taehyung had a very distinctive deep voice that always made him shiver slightly. Even though he knew he had complicated feelings towards that man, he still was in a foul mood and did not want to talk to him. But there he was, talking shit about him.  _ Fucking annoying _ . 

"What do you want?" He snarled. 

"To make sure you don't fuck things up." A sinister smile formed on Taehyung's face.

"Do I have a tendency for that?"

"You would be surprised." Taehyung laughed as he left Jungkook speechless.

Kook was now wondering if every single person in that room was going to try to make him lose his temper that night. Jungkook now wanted to hit him and Jackson, but he knew he would not even get close to their faces before he was hit even harder by them. He swallowed his pride and strode to the back of the room. Jackson had moved to talk to Namjoon and other representatives, so he was now alone. 

As he sipped on his drink, a faint bell rang in the room. Dinner was served. Jungkook strode to the table and he knew this was going to be awful. His assigned seat was beside Jimin, due to him being part of the Busan family. His brother was already smiling when Jungkook sat down and he could not hold back a sigh. 

"Kookie darling, why are you so silent today?" Jimin rested his hands on Jungkook's thigh. 

"Not in the mood, Jimin." Jungkook sipped on his drink. 

"Don't be disrespectful, darling." Jimin was still smiling. "Otherwise, I will have to teach you a lesson."

"..."

"That's better, darling." 

"Where is Seokjin?" Jungkook managed to ask. 

"Busy." 

"Busy with what?" He was mad. "He said he was coming."

"But he didn't, Jungkook." Jimin hissed. "I am in charge at the moment and you will respect me, understand?"

"Yes,  _ hyung _ ."

"Good." His fingers digging into Jungkook's skin, making him flinch. "Now be a good boy and eat your dinner."

Jungkook knew better. He knew he had to keep quiet and respect Jimin because he didn't know what his brother was planning nor with whom he was planning it with. Even though he had a small hunch.  _ Yoongi _ . The thought made him sick. If Jimin was plotting with Yoongi, that meant that Taehyung was also involved and all his actions were probably just part of the sick game they were playing. Still, he did not know if there was anyone else involved in the plot, so it was safer to stay silent. 

The dinner went on with no major events, apart from the drunkenness of the men sitting at the table. Yoongi and Jackson went on and on, boasting about their killing strategies. Hoseok would always laugh at them with his extremely loud laughter and clap his hands like a happy seal. From time to time, Namjoon would give little speeches about how great he was and his actions made him fit for being the head of the major family.  _ Boring _ . Jimin was also boasting, but as always, about his charms.  _ Typical _ . The dick-sizing had no end. 

Jungkook turned to look at the only women sitting at the table. Seulgi and Joo Hyun were laughing with each other as they looked at the drunk men in front of them. They weren't sober, but still did not participate in the boasting. As his eyes wandered around the people sitting at the table, he caught a glance at Taehyung. He was deadly silent and did not even bother to look up, until he saw Jungkook looking at him. It was as if he had felt it and was now staring at the young man, a somber look on his face. 

The look made him shiver, something was off. It was as if Taehyung was warning him of something, like something bad was about to happen and Jungkook was at the receiving end of that evil. It was as if he was caring for Jungkook and that made the pain in his heart come back. His hand was clutching his chest again and that sight made Taehyung raise an eyebrow. Kook forced him to let go of himself and began to act as if nothing was happening, but he knew the pain was growing more intense by the minute. 

When they were finally able to leave, Jungkook managed to escape the room and headed back to his own room. The loud talk slowly faded and he was sure that people had gone back to their rooms to rest for the next day. It was late, but Jungkook could not fall asleep so easily. There were many thoughts in his head that made the pain inside him even worse. 

Jungkook was lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, when he heard a faint knock on his door. For a second he deeply wished to ignore it and pretend he was sleeping, but he knew he couldn't. Kook got up quickly and opened it. Outside there was a small and fragile member of the staff- she was one of the new ones they had hired for the event. He could tell she was afraid of something. 

"M-Mr. Jeon?" She was trembling. Hard. 

"Yes?" He leaned closer. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no, sir." She shook her head. "A guest asked for you."

"Which one?"

"Mr. Kim." 

_ Which one? _

"Fine." Jungkook tried to comfort her with a hand on her shoulder. "Which room is he in?"

"Blue, sir." She blurted out. "He's in the blue room."

Jungkook did not know which Kim she was talking about, but the blue room was set for Bae Joo Hyun so there was no reason for a Kim to be in that room. Something was wrong. There was no reason for any of the Kims he knew to be calling him at this hour if it was not something bad. Jungkook felt a shiver run down his spine. 

The young lady bowed and trembled her way back to where she had come from. Jungkook put on his jacket and headed for the blue room- a bad feeling settling in his stomach. The room was not exactly close to his, he had to go all the way to the other side of the mansion, taking him enough time to think of all the possibilities that were lying ahead. Was Kim Taehyung waiting there to kill him? Had Kim Seokjin finally arrived? Did Kim Namjoon find out about what had happened between him and Jackson? Was there a new Kim he did not know about? 

The blue room was just around the corner and Jungkook was afraid to go in. Thankfully, there was no one in that hallway to see him shiver. He looked around and let out a loud sigh, hoping life would spare him one more time. None of the Kims he had thought about were people he wanted to meet. Still, there he was. He turned on the knob and the door squeaked. Was he in some kind of horror movie? He entered the room only to find it empty. This was bad. 

Jungkook had no idea why someone would tell him to go to an empty room, something just did not add up. For that woman to be afraid like that, it had to be one of the psychos. That slightly ruled out Namjoon. He was left with his psychotic brother and the psychotic assassin he secretly had disturbing feelings for.  _ Secretly _ . Jungkook wondered around the room for a while, staring at the silk blue sheets that were adorning the bed. 

The door squeaked again and Jungkook was frozen. For some reason he could not muster the courage to turn around and face who was probably going to kill him. He kept on imagining a dozen scenarios in which he got shot, strangled, cut and all other possibilities he could think of. He was taken out of his daze by a blow in the head. Jungkook was now staring at a dark figure looking down at him as he lay on the ground, rolling in pain. The blow had made it hard for him to focus on anything so he was now helpless. 

"Surprised, puppy?" Jackson laughed. 

"J-Jackson?" Jungkook shook his head a few times. "What the fuck...what the fuck are you doing?"

"Having fun." Jackson bent down to the ground, his face was now clear. "And you are going to be my pretty little toy today."

This was bad and Jungkook knew it. Jackson was clearly drunk and Kook was still trying to recover from the blow he had received. His limbs were weak and he was having a hard time controlling them. Jungkook could not fight against a man like that in those conditions and he knew Jackson was going to use that in his favor, however he saw fit. 

"You know, puppy." He continued. "You have been very disobedient."

"Jackson..." Jungkook was squirming, trying to get away from him. "Don't do this."

"Baby," He stood up again, his foot stepping on Jungkook's chest. "I'm not going to kill you. Not now." 

_ Fucking psychopath. _

Jungkook could not say a word, he was terrified and frozen with fear. He was going to die either way, but before that, Jackson would have his fun with him. And he knew it all too well what that meant. Jungkook was having trouble breathing.

"You see," Jackson started unbuttoning his shirt. "I do not like the word  _ no _ ."

"J-Jackson..." Jungkook was now begging. "Please."

"You came willingly." He growled. "You heard the name Kim and came running. So easy."

"I-I..."

"You what?" Jackson bent down again, this time caressing Jungkook's face. "You wished I was him?"

"Nuh-no." He choked. 

"Do you want me, puppy?" Jackson sat on top of Jungkook, legs on each side and leaning closer. 

There was no point in doing anything at the moment, Jackson had won and Jungkook was going to be used by him. Abused would be a better word for it.  _ Hell this was straight up rape _ . Kook knew it, he felt it and all he wished for was death. Death would indeed be a better ending than this, better than being used like this by a psychopath that had fucked up feelings for him.

"You don't want me?" Jackson hissed and slapped Jungkook hard on the face. His cheek was instantly swollen.

Jungkook did not even dare to answer him right now. He was too shocked to say anything, afraid that any word could make Jackson completely lose it.

"You see, puppy." He began to unbutton Jungkook's shirt. "It doesn't matter if you don't."

"..."

"I'm a reasonable man, you know?" Jungkook's bare chest was now in full sight. "But I have limits."

"Jackson." Jungkook tried again. "Let's talk."

"Oh, baby." He laughed out loud. "The last thing I want to do is talk." 

Jackson bent down and kissed Jungkook, his tongue forcing the young man's mouth open. It was disgusting and Jungkook just wanted to die. He was being forced to kiss him and he only felt weak and dirty by doing so. The taste of alcohol overpowering everything else. He knew he had had complex feelings for him, he had even wanted him at some point. But things had changed and Jackson had indeed become the monster Jungkook knew he was. This was too much. 

Jungkook tried to push the man back but he was pinned down by the elder, his hands being held against his will by the man on top of him. He did not kiss Jackson back and tried to fight his way out of his grip, in vain. Jackson was much stronger and Jungkook was still dizzy from the blow he had received. This was just  _ hurtful _ . 

He could feel the other man's arousal and it only made things worse. Jungkook was now being perforated by Jackson's erection and he knew that meant things would take a dangerous turn. The elder finally pulled back, licking his lips as he smiled maliciously at Jungkook. 

"Am I still a monster to you?" He smiled as he let go of Jungkook's wrists and slowly pulled Jungkook's belt open. 

"Jackson..." Jungkook closed his eyes, begging. "Don't."

"You think," He pulled the belt out. "that if you beg, I'll stop?" 

"..." 

"Baby, please." He opened the buttons, unzipped the pants and inserted his hand inside Jungkook's briefs. "I  _ love _ when you beg." 

Jungkook fought against the urge to make any sound that would make him look like he was enjoying this. He could not really control his body and was struggling to make sure he did not feel aroused by Jackson's touch. His hands traveling up and down on his penis. It was hard and it pained him to do so, still he had to fight back and make sure he looked as miserable as possible.

This was it. Jungkook was now completely defeated and he could not say anything else, do anything. If he tried to hurt Jackson, he would suffer a much worse injury than the one he had now. He would probably finish his business and then torture him to death. The room was spinning and Jungkook felt as if he was going to throw up. This was just too much for him and he just wanted it to be over soon. He closed his eyes and accepted what Jackson was doing to him.

_ Kill me. _

_ Kill me, please.  _

Jungkook still had his eyes closed when he felt a small string come in contact with the skin of his neck and then he was being choked. This was their routine, Jackson would get mad and would use all sorts of methods to choke Jungkook and abuse him in all sorts of ways. He couldn't breath and he was gasping for any tiny amount of air.  _ Kill me _ . Jackson pulled the string even tighter and he could feel it cutting into his skin. He was probably bleeding, but Kook did not dare to open his eyes. There was no air left and Jungkook was on the verge of passing out, letting out small choked gasps.  _ Please, let me die. _

There was a knock on the door and both men were startled, but only Jungkook was relieved. Jackson loosened the grip on the cord and Jungkook could breathe again, coughing intensely. He turned to his side, almost throwing up. Kook finally opened his eyes and saw Jackson with a terrifying look on his face, the murderous miasma cloud getting thicker. He looked at Jungkook and gritted his teeth as he looked back at the door. 

"What is it?" He growled. 

"Sir, Mr. Kim is looking for you." The man cleared his throat. "It is urgent."

Jackson growled once again and looked down at the helpless Jungkook. It was truly terrifying to see him like that and Kook did not want to show how relieved he was feeling at that moment. He had just managed to get himself out of a really bad situation and he was not in a rush to spoil it. 

"Don't you dare move." Jackson grabbed Jungkook's cheeks, making him pout and hurting him. 

The elder got up and walked towards the door, buttoning up his shirt as he did so. Jungkook was left half naked on the floor. The door opened and he could see the man standing outside of the room, it was the head of security and he saw Jungkook. He  _ knew _ he had seen him. He saw that helpless boy lying on the floor with his clothes in disarray and bloody neck, his gaze turning away. He could not look at Jungkook for long so he just pretended nothing happened. Jungkook sighed. 

The door was closed again and it took Jungkook a few minutes to completely understand what had happened and could've happened. He sat on the ground, grabbing his belt and putting it back into place. Kook quickly buttoned his shirt back, fingers trembling. He didn't care that Jackson had told him to stay put, Jungkook just wanted to leave. He wanted to go as far as possible from there. 

He got up and ran. Kook did not know for how long he ran or where to, but he was now on the other side of the house. Still far from his own room and trembling even harder. He backed against the wall and slowly sunk to the ground. He knew he wasn't safe, but he needed to stop for a second. He needed to breathe. But instead of just breathing, Jungkook began to cry. Small little sobs at a time as tears fell down his face onto the ground. 

He was completely lost in a world he could not control, he did not stand a chance against people like Jackson and Taehyung. He was not like them and even though that was comforting, that made him weak. His heart was pounding and Kook felt as if he was going to faint from the pain. It was as if his heart was being squeezed with an abnormal strength. Jungkook was lost in his own pain for a long time until he heard voices coming from somewhere near. It seemed like giggles and some sort of conversation.

Kook lifted his head and looked around to see where it came from. He was scared that someone was going to find him like that,  _ desperate _ . Jungkook quickly got up and wiped the tears off his face, making his sleeve wet. He followed the sound of laughter and came across one of the guest rooms. The door was not entirely closed as he could see a small beam of light illuminating the dark corridor.  _ Who is it? _

The moment Jungkook saw the inside of the room, his mouth fell open and would not close for a long time.  _ Jimin _ . He was standing against the wall, naked and with a grim smile on his lips. His scars were all in the open and Jungkook noticed that his whole body was covered in them, making it a horrific sight. While he stared at his brother's scars, Jungkook did not notice the man that approached his brother, his back turned to Jungkook.

_ YOONGI! _

He was also naked, which made the scene even more bizarre. He held a knife in his hand and Kook could see that the sight of it made Jimin smile even brighter.  _ What the fuck is going on? _ He approached Jimin and hummed a tune while the knife dug deep into the skin, blood flowing onto the floor. It sounded like the children's song Jimin would sing to him when he was young. It was a sweet tune he would hum while he ran his fingers through Kook's hair, telling him everything would be ok. 

Why was Yoongi singing that song? How did he know about it? Jimin was definitely in bed with the devil. Not only was he in bed, but he was also in love and now everything he had heard and seen in the past months began to make sense. Jimin was indeed working with  _ Wang _ Min and they both were working on something against his older brother, Seokjin. Kook did not know what, but he was sure of it. 

Taehyung's comment about the man with a Busan accent not being truly from Busan was making everything even worse. Jimin was not from Busan and he indeed did not have a strong Busan accent, but you could still faintly see it sometimes. Was he the one who had been messing with the drugs from the major families? It fitted perfectly.  _ Shit. _

Jungkook felt breathless as he watched his brother being cut and relinquishing the pleasure it gave him. It was truly fucked up, but Kook could not make himself leave. It was as if he was hypnotized in horror. That tune was drilling into his brain, making his chest hurt. It was as if he was being crushed into nothing and as if his heart was no longer pumping, just lying empty in his chest cavity. His body was frozen. 

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder and threw him on the floor.  _ Again? _ He was sure that Jackson had found him and now he was certainly going to die a horrible death. Probably by "angel torture", but maybe Jackson did not want to waste that much time on a disobedient person as Jungkook. But then, Kook looked up. It was not Jackson. 


	16. PLEASURE

Taehyung was looking down at Jungkook with a serious expression on his face. Jungkook tried to speak and make sense of what had happened but in the end he just sat on the ground and looked up at the other man. Taehyung did not move for a second, he kept his eyes focused on Jungkook and his features did not soften for a second. Unexpectedly, he held out his hand to the youngest, indicating he wanted to help him up. As soon as Jungkook was up, Taehyung pulled him out of the hallway and into an empty room that had it's door open.

"What are you doing here?" Taehyung asked in a serious tone as he closed the door behind him.

"I heard noises." Jungkook did not dare to look him in the eye. 

"So you just came to snoop around?" Taehyung was mad. 

"N-no." Jungkook was choking, holding back the tears he wanted to shed. "I just...I just..."

Kook did not finish his sentence, he couldn't. What was he going to say? I ran away from being raped by a psychopath and ran into my brother being cut by some drug lord in some kinky way? Taehyung was not his friend or even close to him for Jungkook to say something so deep and personal to him, so he chose silence. 

"What happened to your face?" Taehyung used his fingers to turn Jungkook's face, making his swollen cheek more visible. "And your neck?"

Jungkook had not seen his neck before, but he was certain there was a mark on it and now Taehyung confirmed his suspicions. He did not know if he should tell him what had happened, he couldn't. Jackson was scary and he was afraid Taehyung would help him to torture Jungkook in some sick way that combined their techniques. The thought made him tremble hard and Taehyung saw it, the look on his face made him appear worried. 

"Did Jackson do this?" He stepped closer. "Tell me!"

"H-he..." Jungkook clenched his chest again, the pain was brutal. "He...he...he..."

He could not hold it in any longer, the tears streamed down his face in full force and he sunk to the ground with a thud. The sobs were uncontrollable and his hands were covering his face. Kook suddenly felt someone hug him, he felt fingers in his hair and he was shocked. Taehyung was comforting him? He slowly removed the hands from his face and looked at the other man who was kneeling in front of him. He looked extremely worried and Jungkook sobbed lightly. Taehyung looked human for the first time. 

The hand in his hair slowly came down to his face and neck and Taehyung contoured the bruise on his neck with his fingers. 

"Did he..." He looked angry, but his tone was careful. "Hurt you?"

"Yes." Jungkook could not look at him in the eyes, he was too embarrassed and disgusted at himself. 

"He tried to kill you?" 

"No, he...he..." Jungkook had to muster all the courage that he had to speak the next sentence. "He wanted me, but I didn't want him. He doesn't like to hear no." 

"Jungkook," Taehyung lifted his head and made Kook look at him. "What did he do?"

"He tried..." The pain in his chest growing stronger. "He tried to make me..."

"It's ok." Taehyung sighed. "You don't have to say it."

"I'm sorry." 

"What are you fucking sorry for?" Taehyung was growling. "He is the one who fucked up."

"I just," Jungkook was almost crying again. "I just didn't know what to do."

"It's okay, baby." Taehyung was running his fingers through his hair again, the skin tingling with the touch. "You are safe."

Jungkook melted and closed his eyes. His head felt heavy so he just let it fall, resting on Taehyung's shoulder. The smell of flowers invading his nose and suffocating him. It was  _ good _ . Jungkook was completely helpless and he just wanted to rest longer in those arms, let Taehyung take care of him. Kook could not think of anything else. The smell was calming and the hands were soft, he was calm again. 

Taehyung shifted his weight and tried to stand both up, but Jungkook pulled him back down. He did not want to leave, he wanted to stay safe in that embrace, stay there for a minute longer. His feelings for Kim Taehyung were confusing, but he knew they were there. Fucked up as they seemed, they existed and he wanted to feel them. He wanted that again.  _ Is this love? _

"Jungkook." Taehyung called. 

"Again."

"What?"

"Please." Jungkook held him tighter. "Say my name again."

He was begging, he wanted that man to call to him. Just hearing him say it was enough for him. But would he? Would Taehyung ever call to him the way he wanted him to? Did he even have feelings for Jungkook? He was so sure he was being used, he was just a pawn in his fucked up game, but why did he want so badly for him to call him? Why did he need that man to want him this badly? He was disregarding the danger, the pain he had made him feel, the plotting. It was all forgotten just because it was him. It was Taehyung. 

"Jungkook." Taehyung whispered in his ear, taking him out of his daze. 

That was it. It was what it took, he was sold. Jungkook lifted his head and stared at the other man as if he was looking to something out of this world, mesmerizing. He wanted to stay in that moment for as long as he could, just staring at Taehyung. Jungkook was too stupid and decided it was a good idea do lean in closer. Not even he was sure of what he wanted. To kiss him? To hold him? So he just leaned in trying to figure it out as he got closer, sadly Taehyung did not share his intent and moved out of the way, making Kook lose his balance and stop his fall with his hands. Shock all over his face. 

"Don't do this." Taehyung sighed. "You are not thinking straight."

"I am." Jungkook was still looking at the floor in front of him. 

"You should not desire things you cannot have." Taehyung turned away to leave. 

"You're such a piece of shit, Kim Taehyung." Jungkook had completely shifted and he could see that Taehyung was caught off guard. 

"Excuse me?" Confusion in his tone. 

"Why did you do this to me?" His expression grew darker as he got up. "Why pretend to care?"

"Who said I was pretending, Jungkook?"

"Is it fun to play with me?" He could feel the pain growing stronger. "That's what I am right? A fucking toy for you all to play around with."

"I will not discuss this right now." Taehyung was angry and Kook could see. "You are tired and confused, so my advice to you is that you don't speak of what you do not know."

"So tell me!" Jungkook was angry. "Fucking tell me what the fuck it is that I do not know!"

"I've already told you" Taehyung had a warning in his tone. "I will not discuss this right now."

"Fine." Jungkook stared at him with killing intent. "I won't ever bother you again."

Jungkook started walking for the door, Taehyung staring at him. He was deeply hurt, but he would not let him see it. It was as if his heart had been trampled again and again, and now all that was left was a blob of bloody tissue. Still, Jungkook knew it did not matter. Was this even real or was he just in need of someone who treated him well for a second? 

"Jungkook." Taehyung did not look at him, but his hand was holding his wrist. "I will ignore your little tantrum, but I am warning you not to tell anyone what you saw."

Kook pulled his hand from Taehyung's grasp and stormed out of the door, slamming it close. He probably woke up half of the house, but he did not care. Jungkook was angry and he did not bother to think about anyone else at that moment. He walked back to his room, but the image of Jackson entering his room in the middle of the night made him feel sick. So he just walked past it. 

Before Jungkook could see, he was outside the house standing on the front porch. Snow covered the ground and the deep darkness was wrapping him like a blanket. The cold was intense and he did not have a coat on.  _ Shit _ . He pulled out his pack of smokes from his pocket and lit it up, making a dense cloud of smoke as he breathed out. 

"Cannot sleep?" A voice came out from the darkness. 

"What?"

"I can't sleep either." Hoseok got up from the chair and put a blanket around Jungkook. "So I just decided to stay here for a while."

"I can leave if you want, sir."

"Nonsense!" He laughed with his carefree laughter. "I like company and you remind me of your brother."

"Seokjin?" A sharp pain crossed Jungkook's heart as he said his brother's name.

"Yes." Hoseok sighed. "Is he alright?"

"Honestly," Jungkook sighed as he breathed out the smoke. "I have no fucking clue."

"I see." He seemed troubled. "I just hope he is okay."

"Are you close to him?" Jungkook was seeing something in that man's face and he was confused by it. 

"You can say that." Hoseok smiled slightly at him in a way that made you feel extremely safe. Jungkook liked him a lot, he was like a breath of fresh air in the middle of that chaotic night.

"Mr. Jung, may I ask you something?"

"Please, call me Hoseok." He tapped Jungkook's arm lightly. "And yes, you can."

"Do you think Seokjin is in danger?"

Jungkook did not want to ask that, he knew asking would make it real. From the moment Seokjin did not show up in Seoul, he knew something bad had happened. Still he did not want to believe that his brother was probably dead or close to dying and the one responsible for that was his other brother, Jimin. 

"Yes." Hoseok sighed again. "I believe so, but there is nothing I can do about it."

"Can  _ I _ ?" 

"Jungkook," His smile was soft. "You are not some weak little boy."

"..."

"If you survived this far in Seoul in the company of Jackson Wang and Kim Namjoon, you are far more capable than you think."

"Thank you." Jungkook breathed out. 

"No need to thank me." Hoseok laughed again, making Jungkook laugh along. It had been a long time since he had last laughed and this felt good. 

The two men stood on the porch for a little longer, but no more words were exchanged. There was no need for it, Jungkook understood exactly what Hoseok had told him and he knew this was the time to make a move. He did not know how he would do it, but there was no way he was going to stand still and see his family get destroyed by other people's greed. 

There was a soft tap on the window and both men looked back, the sky was starting to get lighter and they could see a light silhouette inside of the house pointing at Hoseok. It was one of his people calling him to go inside. Hoseok bowed slightly and bid Jungkook farewell, entering the house and disappearing in the darkness that still dominated the inside. 

Jungkook smoked another cigarette and headed inside, back to his room. He was not in the mood for sleeping but he wanted to feel warm after spending all that time on the outside, his hands already numb from the cold. He walked down to his room and as soon as he opened the door, he was greeted with a disturbing sight. Jackson was sleeping in his bed, holding his pillows in his arms. 

The sound of the door closing woke him up and he was now scratching his eyes as he slowly got up. Jungkook could only stare at him. 

"What are you doing here?" Jungkook's heart was racing and his mind was a mess.

"Jungkook?" Jackson had a sleepy voice. 

"What the fuck are you doing in my room, Jackson?"

The man did not answer him and started to get up, making Jungkook take a few steps back and stay the furthest from him possible. Jackson seemed to have noticed the movement and his face became contorted, as if he was in pain. He stood up and sighed as he looked back at Jungkook, a troubled look on his face. 

"Jackson, I'm tired." Jungkook had his fists closed. "Can you leave?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"The  _ last _ thing I want to do is talk." Jungkook snarled. "Leave."

This was evil and Jungkook knew it, Jackson had said the same thing earlier and this was just him being a nasty human being. He put the elder in the same position he had been before, a humiliating one. But he did not care. Jungkook wanted to hurt him just as much as he had hurt him earlier that night. 

"Fine." He hissed. "We'll talk later."

"Leave."

Jackson left the room and as soon as the door closed, Jungkook sank to the ground. His knees shaking and his body trembling hard. He stayed in that position for a long time. When he finally got up, the night was gone and the day was clear. 

\--

Jungkook did not sleep for even a minute that night. When he finally got up from the floor, he went into the bathroom and took a shower. His skin felt disgusting and he wanted to be free of it, free from the feeling of Jackson touching him. The thought haunted him all day and he had spent most of it away from everyone else. He did not stay inside of the meetings with the excuse that he had to make sure everything was in order. Namjoon did not think it was weird of him to do this, but Jackson was fully aware why Jungkook was keeping his distance. 

The day went on with no major occurrences apart from the two times Jackson tried to talk to Jungkook, but he only ignored the elder and left. He also caught Taehyung's eyes staring at him a few times, but did his best to ignore it as much as it pained him. Jungkook spent the whole day creating a speech he would deliver to Namjoon. He wished to leave the event to go back to Busan to find his brother. He was certain Namjoon would oppose, but he had to try and even if he did oppose, Jungkook would still go.  _ Fuck it _ . 

He had had enough of those people's little games and now he was going to play his version. He did not really have any allies, but he could still stir up trouble for all those families. With all that he had learned in those past months, it was enough to bury half of them on illegal charges. This was the turning point for Jungkook, the moment he decided to go against all those who made his life miserable. 

"How are you today, Jungkook?" Hoseok asked with that soft smile he always had.

"I'm fine, thank you." Kook smiled back at him. "Do you need something?" 

"A smoking buddy." Hoseok laughed. "Do you volunteer?" 

Jungkook laughed lightly and accompanied Hoseok to the lawn near where they were holding the conference. It was a quiet place and Jungkook liked it a lot. He fished out his pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jacket and, taking out two cigarettes.

"I don't smoke, but thank you." He laughed out loud, staring at the forest that spread wide in front of them. 

Jungkook was deeply confused. 

"I have something to tell you, Jungkook." He sighed. "Please, do not disclose it with anyone else."

"Has something happened?" He was extremely worried and was almost certain this was about Seokjin. 

"I did some digging and I have reasons to believe your brother is in serious danger."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure." He put a hand on Kook's shoulder. "But my people found Lee Jung-hwan's body." 

Jungkook's heart sank and the blood from his face vanished. Jung-hwan was dead. His  _ hyung _ was dead. Who killed him? Why would someone kill him? The hand on his shoulder was the only thing that was keeping him standing. 

"Is my brother alive?" Jungkook struggled to speak. 

"I do not know." Hoseok sounded extremely sad to say those words. "There's a slim chance."

Hoseok handed him a small piece of paper on his hand and left, leaving Kook standing alone in the snow, the unlit cigarette still between his fingers. The day was far from over, but the night time was coming soon and that meant Namjoon would have some free time. At that exact moment, he was going to talk to him and tell him that he was leaving. This was not open for discussion, Jungkook had to go back to Busan to find his brother or at least his body. 

He did everything mechanically and barely paid attention to what was happening around him. He could only think about Jung-hwan and Seokjin. Jackson tried to talk to Jungkook again but was completely ignored by him. Taehyung even tried to speak to the young man, but was also ignored. 

The day went away and soon the night was back. Jungkook had waited the whole day for a small amount of time alone with Namjoon and it was finally happening. He walked quickly to his office and gently opened the door, letting himself in. Namjoon was sitting on the couch, book in his hands and glasses on his nose. As soon as he saw Jungkook, he arched an eyebrow and took off his glasses. 

"You seem troubled, Jungkook." His tone was calm, but menacing. 

"I have to go back to Busan, sir." 

"You _ have _ to?" Namjoon repeated emphasizing the words. "Why would you  _ have _ to go to Busan right now?" 

"It's an urgent matter, sir." Jungkook wanted to scream at that man, even hit him. Still he kept calm. 

"Does it have to do with your brother?"

"I’d rather not say, sir." Jungkook changed his tone. "But I have to go."

"You know I cannot let you go in the middle of an event like this." Namjoon had stood up and was now walking towards Jungkook.

"I know, sir." He stepped forward. "I am only informing you."

"Oh?" Namjoon seemed to be caught by surprise. "Are you?"

"Yes, sir." Jungkook opened the door. "I will be leaving after the event."

Jungkook left without looking back. He knew he had done something bad, but it did not matter. All he wanted was to leave and go back to his city to find his brother- he needed to find Seokjin. He also needed to find out what had happened and who was the one planning to take down the Kim family. 

When he approached the living room, he could see the people gathering and the conversations going on. He did not want to be near those people. He just wanted to leave as soon as possible, but he had to endure. He spared a look at Hoseok and tried to convey his message to that man, hoping he would understand. He looked at Jungkook for a moment and then smiled brightly at him.  _ He understood. _ Jungkook walked out of the house and began to walk towards one of the adjacent houses. It was going to be empty at this moment and he could enjoy some peace and quiet. 

Jungkook had escaped the cold outside and was now inside the sauna. He could see the warm vapor through the small window on the door, it felt even more welcoming than when he had seen it last time. This time he did not deny the invitation and walked towards the door, opening it lightly. The warmth hit him right in the face, but it was good. It felt like he had been hugged tightly. 

He was alone and he could feel it, everyone else was too busy with their business talk or talking about something that was illegal. Jungkook had had enough and did not bother to stick around to see whatever those people were doing. This place was much better, warm and quiet. 

He was now sitting on the ground by the pool, his long fingers playing with the hot water. It was peaceful and he liked it. These past days had been chaotic to say the least and now he was finally having a moment of peace. Jungkook hummed a soft melody and this felt like true happiness, something he had not experienced in months. Ever since his father had died, his life had been nothing but blood and tears. 

Namjoon did not allow Jungkook to go back to Busan in order to check on his brother, but he was leaving anyway. On top of that, he could not count on Jimin anymore. His brother was thoroughly involved in the whole plot and his lover and partner in crime was none other than the  _ Wang _ of Daegu, Min Yoongi. Was there anyone he could even trust? That question did not seem to have an answer, but still he was used to that.  _ Betrayal runs deep in the Kim blood.  _

The faint smile on his face showed just how good this moment was, he had forgotten about the outside world, immersed in his little soft tune. Until a faint laugh pulled him out of his calmness. Jungkook frowned and turned his head to see who was there. 

From within the dense clouds of smoke, a familiar silhouette made itself known.  _ Kim Taehyung _ . How long had he been standing there? Jungkook gritted his teeth and stared back at the other man, bitterness biting into his soul. He had feelings for Taehyung, but that didn't change the fact that he was involved with his brother's disappearance and he worked for Yoongi, which made him just as guilty as any of those other men. 

Taehyung stared at Jungkook with a somber face, he had his lips pursed and Jungkook felt as if this might be the look he had whenever he killed someone. Was he going to die? The problem with Taehyung was exactly that, at the same time he was murderous and somber, he was also extremely sensual and that made Jungkook mad at himself. How could he desire such a fucked up person? Still, he did. 

Jungkook got up and stared back at the man in front of him. Taehyung had his black suit on, a white shirt and his black tie. He could not deny the fact that the outfit made him even more sensual. Made his desire even stronger. But at the same time, he wanted to kill Kim Taehyung with all that he had. 

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Jungkook hissed.

"Nothing." Taehyung dismissed the young man's question. 

"Get the fuck out." Jungkook walked closer. "Go back to your  _ owner _ ."

Jungkook knew he was pushing his luck. Taehyung was not someone you would want to piss off, but he had nothing else he could do at this moment. He was angry and he wanted to vent out his pain. 

"Why are you really here, Jungkook?" Taehyung said calmly.

"I just am." He was growling. "And you? Why the fuck are you here?"

"Are you mad, baby?" Taehyung countered.

"Yes!" Jungkook was finally done with it. "I hate you, I hate your fucking psychotic boss and I hate the fact that my brother is fucking and helping him. I hate that you are all involved in some big masterplan to ruin my family's life and I hate how you walk around feeling entitled when you should just be dead somewhere, you pretentious fuck."

"Are you done?" Taehyung did not even flinch. 

"Do you even feel anything? Are you  _ human _ , Kim Taehyung?" Jungkook was screaming. "Or do you just feel pleasure going around destroying everything you touch?"

"I do, Jungkook." Taehyung was closer. "That's why I warn people. I warned you and still you came. You are the one to blame."

"I didn't do shit." Jungkook lunged forward and grabbed Taehyung by his collar. "SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"..."

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME. YOU ONLY KNOW HOW TO KILL PEOPLE AND HURT PEOPLE AROUND YOU. YOU ARE JUST A FUCKING MONSTER WITH NO SOUL OR CONSCIOUSNESS! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ME?"

"Is that what you think of me?" Taehyung held Jungkook's hand. "Is that how you  _ really _ feel?" 

It felt like pain, like angst. Jungkook was hurting all over and the only thing he wanted was to be cured from the pain he felt all the time, the pain that made him want to curl up and die. Kim Taehyung was the one to blame, he was sure of it. He was the one who talked to him like that, acted like that and made him have feelings for him. Jungkook was just a fool that had fallen for those charms. _ Wasn't he? _

Taehyung was staring at him, not saying a word. Jungkook was holding him against the wooden wall on the side of the room. Jungkook was panting hard as he held the other man against the wall. His hand gradually loosened the grip and Taehyung straightened his shirt as he removed Jungkook's hand from his collar. 

Jungkook was staring at him, closer than he had ever been. He could feel the heat from Taehyung's body. This was bad and he knew it, just like last time they were awfully close and Jungkook could feel his desire growing stronger. Taehyung must have realised what Jungkook was thinking, because he was now smiling maliciously. 

"What do you really want?" Taehyung asked as he pushed himself away from the wall. 

"What?" Jungkook was at a loss for words.

"What do you want, Jungkook?" His fingers had to Jungkook's neck. "Do you want me?"

"..."

"You cannot say no, can you?" He was now slightly choking Jungkook.

"No."

Before Jungkook could realize, Taehyung had kissed him. His tongue opened his mouth and it did not take long for Jungkook to respond to the incentive, kissing Taehyung back. His tongues were intertwined and he was burning up with heat. This was all he wanted, he only needed Kim Taehyung. 

His mouth backed away from Jungkook's and was now slowly licking his neck, focusing on the bruise Jackson had made the day before. The arousal could not be controlled and Jungkook was the hardest he had ever been. Taehyung's tongue was like heaven and he was floating on the air as he slowly kissed and licked his neck. Jungkook closed his eyes. 

"Do you like this, baby?" A warm breath on his neck. 

"Yes."

"Yes what?" 

"Yes, sir." Jungkook was panting.

"Good boy." Taehyung said as he licked Jungkook's neck again. 

Taehyung stepped away from Jungkook and stared at him for a second, a creepy smile on his lips. He was having fun seeing Kook melt in the pleasure he was giving him. He grabbed Jungkook by the neck and spun him around, slamming him against the wall. A small laugh coming out of his mouth. 

"Do you like when I do it like this, baby?"

"Yes, sir."

The long and slim fingers went down and began to take off Jungkook's clothes. Taehyung was agile and good at what he was doing, making Jungkook feel the temperature rise even more. Taehyung threw Jungkook's jacket and shirt on the ground, pulled out his belt and held it in his hand, then slowly put it around Jungkook's neck. It was almost like a leash.  _ Damn _ . 

Taehyung's hands had worked fast and Jungkook was now naked staring at the man with a malicious smile in front of him. He stepped out of his pants and briefs kicking them to the side. Taehyung was still fully clothed, which made it even more intense. 

"Kneel, baby." Taehyung ordered, belt in his hand. 

Jungkook did not even flinch and obeyed, doing as he was told and kneeling on the ground. The belt made him stare up at Taehyung, who was licking his lips.  _ God _ . Taehyung opened up his own belt, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. The piece of clothing fell down to the ground alongside his underwear, letting out his hard cock. Jungkook swallowed hard. 

Taehyung gave a small tug on the belt and pulled him closer to him, he was now facing that major erection and it made him gasp. 

"Suck, baby." Taehyung ordered.

Jungkook stared at it for a second and then proceeded to open his mouth, starting with the head. He put his hands on each of Taehyung's thighs, but just as he did the elder tugged on the belt, cutting his air flow and making him choke. 

"Hands down, baby." 

He dropped his hands to his sides and started over, licking every single inch of the head and finishing by the rim. He could faintly hear Taehyung's moans and that excited him even more. The elder used his free hand to grab a hold of Jungkook's head and controlled his movements, so he was now sucking on the whole cock, slightly choking on it. 

Taehyung made him go slowly at first, but now he was going in stronger, hitting the back of Jungkook's throat with the head of his cock. It's even harder for Jungkook to breathe, but he likes it so much. He had never had someone do that to him, but  _ god _ it felt so good. Everytime his cock hit that spot, little tears formed on his eyes and he was literally crying for more. Moaning and whining at the same time. 

"So greedy." Taehyung laughed at the sight. "Look at me, baby."

Jungkook lifted his eyes and he stared at the man who was fucking his mouth. Spit and tears covering his face. Kook thought that it was probably a disgusting sight, but Taehyung seemed to be enjoying it very much. Fucking his mouth even harder. Jungkook's cock was throbbing and he wanted to come so bad. But he wanted to make Taehyung come even more, this was his own source of pleasure. 

He could feel his throat hurt everytime that man's cock hit it, but it didn't matter. He wanted more. So much more.  _ Please _ . The belt around his neck was being tugged even harder and Jungkook could see that Taehyung had wrapped it around his hand a couple of times, making it even harder for Kook to breathe. Jungkook was moaning so hard, he was whining for more. 

_ Use me.  _

_ Please, sir.  _

_ Just use me. _

Just the thought of having his mouth fucked like that in the middle of a sauna by Taehyung made him burst with pleasure. This was just too good and he wanted more, moaning even louder as he came even closer to coming. Jungkook could not hold it any longer and as Taehyung thrusted his swollen cock in his mouth, Kook came all over himself and the floor. It was a mess, but it was good. He moaned loudly, making Taehyung laugh. 

"You like it so much, baby."

"..."

"You want me to come in your mouth?"

Jungkook nodded and Taehyung thrusted his cock even deeper, laughing as he jammed Kook's head even deeper on his cock. He groaned everytime he thrusted hard inside Jungkook's mouth, making him completely breathless. The belt was tugging even harder on his skin and Jungkook could feel his cock swell up even more, leaving no room inside his mouth. 

Taehyung was groaning louder and jamming into Jungkook's mouth with even more strength than before. He was going to come at any time and Kook knew it, he  _ wanted _ it. His head was completely pushed forward as Taehyung came inside his mouth choking with his cock, his cum and the belt around his neck. He groaned loudly as he tilted his head back, closing his eyes. Jungkook was almost passing out, but he did not know if it was from pleasure or lack of air. It didn't matter, this was just too good. 

Kook slowly felt the air flow into him again meaning that Taehyung had loosen his grip on his head. He pulled back and he could feel the streaks of white liquid dripping from his mouth and onto the ground. Jungkook was panting and he could just lie down and enjoy the high he got from all that sexual interaction. He licked his lips and around his mouth, cleaning the whole mess that was in his face. 

Taehyung leaned down and looked at Jungkook, holding his chin up with his finger and tilting his head up to look at him. 

"Such a good boy." He smiled.

Jungkook could not speak a word, but he was happy.  _ So happy _ . Taehyung slowly opened the belt and took it off from Jungkook's neck. He grabbed his clothes and gave them back to him, cleaning them from the dust that was on the floor. Taehyung then stood up, pulling his pants and underwear up. He extended his hand down and helped Jungkook up, looking at him with a fond smile. 

"Come on baby," Taehyung cleaned the corner of Jungkook's mouth with his finger. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"Oh..."

Taehyung was adjusting his tie. 

"We still have to drive to Busan." He smiled at Jungkook.


	17. STORY

Jungkook was staring at the mirror, his face red and he was a mess. It was a miracle that nobody had seen him like that, and he was in fact relieved no one did so. He and Taehyung went back to the main house so he could get cleaned, grab his belongings and then head out for Busan. Why was Taehyung going with him? Jungkook did not manage to ask him when he said so, maybe because he was still high from all they had done. But now the image was getting clearer. 

He entered the shower turning on the hot water tap and the room was quickly filled with the fog from the hot water. He stood under the flowing water for a long time and let his muscles relax. What the fuck was he doing? Kim Taehyung was far from trustworthy and he was now going on a six hour car ride with him. Jungkook was sure he had become truly  _ insane _ . Both men had agreed on meeting in half an hour by Jungkook's car so they could leave as soon as possible. 

Kook finished his shower and exited the bathroom. The room was now filled with a slight fog, reminding him of what had happened in the sauna.  _ Shit _ . Just the thought of it was enough to make him start feeling aroused again. Kim Taehyung owned him and there was nothing he could do about it, only lie to the other man and pretend that it was not true. 

He quickly changed his clothes, picked up his bag and exited his room. Jungkook had to make sure he was not spotted by anyone, especially Namjoon and Jackson. He went out through the back of the house, taking the long path. He went around the guest houses and finally arrived at the parking lot. Taehyung was leaning against his car staring at his phone.  _ Fuck _ .

Jungkook approached silently and unlocked the car, granting him an unamused look from Taehyung. 

"Can we leave?" Taehyung put his phone back in his pocket. 

"Yes." Jungkook closed the trunk after putting his bag inside. "Get in."

Taehyung picked up his own bag and threw it on the back seat, he opened the passenger door and slipped inside. Jungkook followed suit and sat on the driver's seat. Before he could start the car, Kook turned and looked at Taehyung for a second. He was completely struck by the man's beauty under the dim light of the car. 

"Yes?" Taehyung seemed bothered by the sudden attention. 

"N-nothing." Jungkook choked on his words. "Was just thinking about something."

"Was it your first time, baby?" Taehyung was smiling maliciously again. 

"No." Jungkook was slightly mad at his remark. 

"Your first time with a man?" He leaned in closer. 

"Also, no." Jungkook was truly annoyed. "You don't have to be an asshole about it." 

"I'm not." His hands were on Jungkook's thigh. "I'm just curious."

"About?" What was there to be curious about? Taehyung told him to suck his cock and he did, there was nothing curious about it. 

"You don't strike me as a guy who would like men." 

"Well I do and I like women too." Jungkook started the car. "Nothing surprising about it."

Taehyung did not say anything else, instead he just laughed at Jungkook's answer. He drove up to the main gate and the security guard stopped him as soon as he arrived. 

"Mr. Jeon, Mr. Kim told me to not let anyone out." The guard was insecure. 

"Don't worry Ji-hoon." He smiled at the man. "We have business to attend in the city. He is aware of it." 

"Oh." He was even more insecure.

"It's okay, Ji-hoon." Jungkook peaked a bit out of the window, looking at Taehyung and then looking back at the security guard. "I have to solve this as soon as possible." 

The man seemed to understand what Jungkook said and bowed a couple of times before he retreated back to the small house and opened the gate. Ji-hoon knew him, so there was no reason for him to doubt a word of what he had just said. He thanked the guard once more and drove off into the frosty night, leaving all the people that seemed to want to end his family behind. Apart from Hoseok. He seemed to be the only person that Jungkook could slightly trust, because there was no way he trusted Kim Taehyung. At least not entirely. 

\-- 

Jungkook had been driving for more than an hour in complete silence. It was truly awkward but he did not know what to say. Why are you helping me? Why are you here? When will you kill me? Those were all questions going through his mind, but he did not dare to ask them. He was stuck in a very small space with Kim Taehyung. Kook had to be careful if he wanted to arrive safely in Busan. Taehyung's smell had been suffocating him ever since he had gotten into the car, but he did his best to hide his discomfort. For a second, Jungkook felt something weird inside of him as he remembered the night when he had escaped Jackson and put his head on Taehyung's shoulder. He did not remember smelling him. 

It was strange to say the least. Jungkook was always very annoyed by that sweet metallic scent, but at that moment specifically he did not smell even a bit of it. For the first time, Jungkook thought that maybe that smell was not actually real and he had imagined it all along.  _ Impossible _ .

Taehyung had been staring out the window peacefully, and Jungkook found it weird to see him in such a peaceful state. So calm and relaxed even though he was someone who liked to kill people. He remembered how Taehyung held him and ran his fingers through his hair. The thought made him shiver slightly and he hoped the other man did not notice. 

"You are restless." Taehyung was still looking out the window. "What is it?"

"Why are you here?" Jungkook stared straight ahead. "Aren't you loyal to  _ Wang _ Min?"

"Loyalty." Taehyung scoffed as he smiled. "Do you remember what Jackson said that day at the club?"

"No." Jungkook was high, so he did not remember much. 

"This was never about loyalty." He turned to look at Jungkook, who did not dare to look back. "It's about common interests. I will stay up until my desires change."

"And have they?" Jungkook swallowed hard. 

"You want to hear me say that you are my new desire?" Taehyung had the most sarcastic tone Jungkook had ever heard. 

"No."

"There is more to this world than drugs and violence, Jungkook." Taehyung seemed pained as he turned to look outside again. "You cannot let people own you, otherwise you won't survive."

The word "own" hurt him and Jungkook held tighter onto the steering wheel, his knuckles cracking. Jackson was always someone who treated Jungkook like a possession, like his puppy. He owned him and it took Kook a long time to break free, if he truly did. Jackson was not someone who would let go so easily and he was sure that Namjoon would probably send him after Taehyung and him. It was just a matter of time before he saw him again. 

Kook moved on from those thoughts and remembered what he had said to Taehyung earlier that night. He had told him to go back to his  _ owner _ , Yoongi. And now he was feeling bad about it. He could clearly see how Taehyung was annoyed by that word and he had said it in such a disgusting way, an angry way. 

"I'm sorry."

"For?" Taehyung raised his eyebrow as he stared at Jungkook. 

"Saying that Yoongi was your owner." Jungkook did not dare to look at him at this moment. He was embarrassed. 

"He is not anymore, but he still thinks he is." Taehyung laughed lightly. 

"..."

"You want to talk don't you?" Taehyung shifted in his seat, crossing his arms and staring at Jungkook. "Want to hear a sad story?" 

"Sh-sure."

"Once upon a time, there was this little kid walking in the snow. He was hungry, alone and on the verge of dying from the cold." Oddly enough, Taehyung was smiling. "A man came up to him and offered him food, company and warmth. What do you think the kid did?"

"He went with the man."

"Bingo!" Taehyung said in an excited way. "He went with that nice man and he did not feel cold or hungry anymore."

"There's a but in there somewhere." Jungkook was curious.

"Oh baby, you're so smart." Taehyung laughed loudly. "Of course, there is. The kid was pure like any other child, so he thought the man was just being nice to him. He believed in that man."

"And the man tricked him." Jungkook felt pain in his heart, but he had to conceal it. 

"Oh, yes, he did!" Taehyung clapped. "That man was a very bad man and the little kid was afraid. He did not want to feel hungry or cold again, so he just obeyed. He was very obedient. Just like you." Taehyung was laughing in a very creepy manner. 

Jungkook looked at the other man, but all he got in return was a sly smile. 

"The man told the little kid what he had to do and the little boy did it so well he was rewarded." Taehyung was no longer smiling. "Everything he asked for he would get. So the kid turned into a greedy boy."

"Greedy?" Jungkook was afraid of the answer he would get. 

"Oh, yes." Taehyung had that psychotic smile back on his lips. "The worse it was, the better the reward. He wanted more and more. The old man realized he had gotten greedy and promised him he would give him what he wanted the most if he did a very bad thing." Taehyung gritted his teeth. "And in the end, his greed almost killed him."

Taehyung shifted again and turned back to the window. Jungkook gave him a worried look. 

"Almost?" Jungkook pretended he did not know Taehyung was speaking about himself. 

"Yes, almost. But he wished he did die." He was smiling again. "He was in so much pain, baby. But in the end he survived and he came back to the old man to get his reward."

"Why?" 

"Because he still wanted that reward." Taehyung turned again to look at him. "And so he stayed by that old man's side for a long time. Obeying and doing as he was told to collect all the rewards he could get."

"And the old man?" Jungkook seemed dumbfounded. 

"His arrogance eventually got him killed." Taehyung looked ahead. "Even his son was happy he died." 

_ Yoongi. _

"The end?" Jungkook was a bit relieved the story was over. Taehyung's life was truly not ordinary and Kook knew he had suffered a lot. It was strange to realize that just like him, Taehyung was also an orphan, but in Kook's case he actually got lucky.  _ Did he? _

"Yes." Taehyung laughed loudly again, startling Jungkook. "I did not say it was a good one."

Taehyung had probably just told him the story of how he became a member of the Min Family. The old man was probably Yoongi's father, the one Yoongi was glad that Jackson had murdered. He was probably as bad as his own son, so Jungkook could imagine just what that man had asked Taehyung to do. Killing was just one of the many things he had done and Jungkook now realized he should have just kept quiet. 

Both men did not speak a word after that, Taehyung was not bothered by the silence and Jungkook just regretted ever starting a conversation. So silence was indeed a better choice. Jungkook had yawned a couple of times, granting him stares from Taehyung. He had not slept at all and he was extremely tired, but he needed to get to Busan as fast as he could, it did not matter how tired he was, he just needed to be there, needed to find his brother. 

"It's late, we should stop somewhere to rest." Taehyung pulled out his phone from his jacket. "There's a place near here. We can rest and continue in the morning."

Jungkook only nodded and looked at the GPS as Taehyung entered the address. It was indeed not far and in a few minutes they had arrived. It was just a small hotel on the side of the road with only a few rooms. Jungkook was in charge of getting their room and he made sure he got a room with twin beds and not just one. There was no need to make this even more awkward than it already was. After he checked in, the young lady at the front desk showed them their room and let them be. Jungkook was a bit worried the woman would see them as a couple, but as soon as the thought hit him, he felt a small smile form in the corner of his mouth. 

He was shaking his head frantically when he realized Taehyung was staring at him with a confused face. He was probably looking like a stupid child shaking his head. He stopped and opened the door of their room. It was small and stuffy, but it would have to do. Taehyung stepped inside first and sat on one of the beds. There was one in by each wall, so it didn't really make a difference. Taehyung was staring at Jungkook who was standing as he inspected the room. Kook was uncomfortable with the fact that he was stuck in a small room with Taehyung. 

"Restless again." Taehyung was unamused. 

"I'm sorry." Jungkook sat down on the empty bed and stared at Taehyung. 

"Do you need another story?" Taehyung was smiling like a psycho. 

"Please," Jungkook shifted in his bed. "No."

"Fine." Taehyung leaned back on the bed, adjusting his pillow. "Do you mind getting us some bottles of water?"

"I'll go ask at the front desk." Jungkook got up again and walked up to the door. 

Taehyung only nodded as he pulled his phone out of his pocket again and typed in a message. Jungkook was troubled by it, but he shook his head and walked out of the room. It was not a long walk so in no time he was back at the front desk asking for some water bottles. The young woman was smiling intently at him and went into a back room to grab a couple of bottles for him. She came back a few moments later giving him the two bottles and smiling amicably again. 

Jungkook thanked her, bowed down and headed back to the room. The bottles were a bit too cold and made his hands a bit numb. For some stupid reason it made Jungkook laugh, maybe because it reminded him of when he and Hoseok were talking on the porch and he laughed. He had not laughed for a long time and that had become a fond memory of his, especially when Hoseok was such a nice person to him. He seemed genuinely worried about Seokjin and his family. 

He had almost arrived at the room, playing with the bottles in his hand. As he got closer to the door, he could faintly hear some conversation happening.  _ Taehyung? _ The hotel seemed quite empty so Jungkook was almost certain that Taehyung was talking to someone, maybe on the phone. He got closer and leaned against the door to hear the conversation. Kook knew this was a bad thing, but he did not trust Taehyung so eavesdropping on his phone call was not entirely bad. 

_ "Yes." _

Taehyung seemed angry at whoever was calling him. Either that or annoyed, he could never say for certain. 

_ "We are on our way to Busan." _

Who was he saying this to? This was exactly why he did not trust Taehyung. He was probably still working with Yoongi and Jimin behind his back, and was keeping them updated as to where they were.  _ Motherfucker. _

_ "No." _ Taehyung sighed. _ "He trusts me, he will believe what I tell him." _

This hurt more than it should. Being used by Taehyung was not something Jungkook wanted even though he knew it was most likely what he was doing all this time. That man did not have a soul or feelings, so why did he expect it to be any different than this? Taehyung had his interests and did everything to make sure he was the one in charge. Jungkook gritted his teeth and clutched his chest, it hurt. He was used to betrayal, especially having grown up in the Kim household. But this time it hurt a bit more. 

Jungkook did not wait around to listen to anything else. He turned around and left. If he was being used like that, there was no point in waiting around for Taehyung. Kook took out his car keys as he went back to the parking lot. The car was quickly unlocked and he stepped in, hands grabbing tightly the steering wheel. Jungkook sighed and then rested his head on his knuckles. He was angry and sad at the same time, he felt pain and he was alone again. 

He did not have time to mull over his complicated feelings so Jungkook just started his car and drove off, leaving Taehyung behind. Busan was a few hours drive from where he was and, unfortunately, that gave him time to think a lot about Taehyung and his attitudes. First he cuddled and comforted him, made him feel safe. Then he had acted like the asshole he was, as usual. Later on he had his fun with him, using Jungkook for his pleasure and again he acted like a human being. Finally, he betrayed him, making sure he was just a piece in his game. How could Jungkook not be angry at him? How could he just accept what he had done to him?

He stepped on the pedal and the car went even faster, Jungkook had to arrive in Busan as soon as possible and not give Taehyung the opportunity to stop him. He knew that man would find a way to stop him when he realised Jungkook had left and for that reason he had to be faster. Jungkook had the small piece of paper Hoseok had given him on which there were a list of addresses. Those were probably places in which he could look for Seokjin, so he typed the first address on the list and headed there. 

After a few hours, Jungkook found the place Hoseok had put on the small piece of paper and it was a small 3-storey run down building. Kook parked his car and stepped out as he stared at the building. There wasn't any other information about the building on that piece of paper so he knew he had to walk around the place to see if he discovered something. 

The building was likely to be demolished soon, but he still found a few rooms that looked like they were still in use. This was probably a secret office of Seokjin's business that he used in order to not get much attention. It looked a lot like the place Jackson and Namjoon had taken him on his first day. There was trash lying around, old furniture and a lot of dust. Jungkook went up and down the building only to find nothing. He left feeling disheartened. 

The next two addresses were the same. Run down buildings that in the end were empty and there was not even a small trace of Seokjin in them. His heart began to slowly sink as he thought about the possibility of him being already dead. As Hoseok had told him, there was only a small chance that he might still be alive. Jungkook felt as if he was just going to those places to find a semi decomposed body. Seokjin. He was extremely hopeless as he typed in the fourth and final address into the GPS. 

It was an abandoned warehouse on the docks by the shipyard. For some reason, Jungkook felt that place was familiar. It was as if he had already been there, he had seen it somewhere before.  _ Did he?  _ The night was coming to an end and Jungkook could already see faint beams of light appearing in the horizon, soon the day would dawn and Jungkook could feel that it would bring bad news. 

Kook walked around for a while, making sure there was nobody near the building and made his way to the main door of the warehouse. It was a tall and heavy door with a few chains on the lock, but they were rusty and broken. The door squeaked loudly as he pushed it open, sliding with difficulty into the wall. The inside was dark and smelled of mold. Jungkook entered the warehouse, turning on his phone's flashlight in order to see the inside more clearly. There was not much inside, but he could see a few wooden boxes on the opposite side of the room. There was trash everywhere and broken tools lying around. The place was a mess and it was also empty. 

_ Seokjin _ .

This was it for him, his brother was definitely dead and he was too late. He did not save him nor help him, he just had fun playing around in Seoul with a psychopath and did nothing to save his own brother. Jungkook felt pathetic.  _ Was _ pathetic. He knew things were off and something bad was about to happen, still he just stood there and did nothing.  _ Kim Taehyung. _ That name popped in his head out of nowhere and Jungkook was confused. Why would he…

The smell, the mold smell was now mixed with a hint of sweetness and there was only one thing that smelled like that. Only one person. Jungkook turned around and his flashlight illuminated Taehyung. He was standing by the door staring at Jungkook, both hands in his pockets. A shiver went down Jungkook's spine and he stepped a few steps back, increasing the distance between the two men. 

"Why did you leave, baby?" Taehyung was walking slowly. His tone was sarcastic but his features were threatening. 

"How did you get here?" Jungkook continued going backwards.

"The only thing that matters." Taehyung clicked his tongue. "Is that I found you."

Jungkook did not answer and only managed to step back even further, nearing the end of the warehouse. He could not escape Kim Taehyung and he knew that he was trapped in there with a psychopath that was likely to kill him. Kook looked around trying to find something he could defend himself with, maybe one of the broken tools lying on the floor. He looked around, his eyes trying to find something. 

"Thinking of killing me?" Taehyung spoke in a sarcastic manner, his smile was back on his face. 

"If I have to," Jungkook finally stopped, eyeing the broken pipe by his side and then turning his gaze to Taehyung. "I will not hesitate."

"Don't be dramatic." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to kill you." 

"I doubt it." Jungkook started to lower his body, reaching for the pipe.

"Jungkook." Taehyung sighed. "We are on the same fucking side." 

"Again." He grabbed the pipe, earning him another eye roll from Taehyung. "I doubt it."

"Being on your brother's side will help me achieve my objective faster." Taehyung walked closer. "But you keep making it harder to do so by being reckless and stupid."

"If you're trying to make me trust you," he branded the pipe in front of his face. "I won't."

"I don't care if you trust me or not." Taehyung was getting mad, his tone had grown deeper. His hands went to his back and Jungkook was certain he was going to pull his gun out. "I have unfinished business and I need you and your brother alive in order to finish them."

"Where's my brother?" Jungkook was trying very hard not to scream but his tone got a bit higher than he intended at first, hands shaking lightly. 

"Alive." Taehyung answered in a dismissive tone. 

"How do you know that?" 

"Because we spoke on the phone a few hours ago." Taehyung was even closer now. 

The phone call Jungkook had heard! Was it indeed Seokjin talking to him? It did not make any sense for his brother to be working with him, but it made even less sense for Taehyung to make up such a story out of the blue. He felt it in him. His brother was dead. So how could Taehyung have spoken to him only a few hours ago? Could Taehyung be telling the truth and Seokjin was indeed alive in the midst of all this chaos? Why would Taehyung tell him he had made Jungkook trust him? This was just too complicated for his head right now, so Kook just shook his head and stared at Taehyung again.

"Put it down." Taehyung's tone was a mix between threat and warning, but Jungkook did not listen to the other man. The pipe remained raised. 

"Why would I do that?" Jungkook gritted his teeth. "The moment I do, you're gonna try to kill me."

"I won't." Taehyung clicked his tongue again. 

"Am I supposed to hear this and just trust you all of a sudden?" Jungkook was now extremely mad and the pain in his chest was acting up again. 

"You trusted me enough to put my cock in your mouth." Taehyung was smiling again. "But you don't trust me when I say I won't hurt you. You're not very smart, are you?" 

If it were any other time, Jungkook would not know what to answer to that, because Taehyung was messing with him. As always, the sarcastic motherfucker was making Kook feel bad about himself. But now, he did not have anything else to lose. He was certain his brother was dead, he was going to be dead soon and Kim Taehyung would not fuck with him at this moment. He would not let him. 

"Your cock is not even that great." Jungkook rolled his eyes. "Don't praise yourself."

Taehyung laughed loudly, his laughter was almost cute to watch. Jungkook shook his head and maintained his composure, not letting the man see he had been affected by his laughter. He stared at him with a straight face and tried to look unamused. Taehyung spent a good few seconds laughing at Jungkook's remark. 

"Humor." He clapped. "I like it." That awful psychotic smile was back on his face. 

Jungkook was being praised by saying something so stupid, but it still made him feel warm. Was this another one of his fucked up kinks? Not even he knew the answer to that question, but it felt funny. His grip on the pipe loosed a bit. After just a second, his grip became tight again, making his knuckles crack. Taehyung was pointing his gun in his direction and Jungkook knew he was fucked. 

It all happened extremely fast, but in a second he was feeling good about Taehyung's comment and in the other he was feeling dread. He could not defend himself with a stupid pipe and he knew it. Taehyung was going to shoot him dead. 

And then he  _ heard _ it. 

He  _ felt _ it. 

He  _ fell _ . 

It burned in a very bad way. Jungkook was falling on the ground and he could feel the pain from the gunshot wound. It was spreading all over his body and all he could do was growl with pain, his teeth gritted to the point of breaking. He did not know where the shot had hit him. The pain was everywhere.  _ Fucking Kim Taehyung _ . Jungkook knew he was losing consciousness because of the pain, but he still managed to look at that man for one last time before he fell into the darkness. 

Jungkook expected to see him smile, laugh, look like a complete psycho. But what he saw was different. It was terrifying to see. Taehyung looked worried, he looked pained. He had shot him, so why the fuck was he looking so misereable? Jungkook rolled around once more and his eyes slowly began to close. And then he heard it again, right before darkness embraced him. 

_ A second gunshot. _


	18. CARE

"You called me, sir?" Jungkook asked, his tone dipped in fear. 

"Yes, Jungkook." His father did not even turn his chair to face him. 

"Have I done something wrong?" Kook looked down at his sweaty palms, rubbing them against each other and putting his hands behind his back. 

This was a standard procedure with his father. Jungkook would get summoned and his father would either punish him or scare him so that he didn't do anything to deserve punishment. Any 12-year-old child would be afraid of getting beaten by their own father- Jungkook was no exception. He had grown used to it, especially because he sometimes chose to be punished instead of his brothers. The Old Kim knew that, but he would still beat Jungkook.

"Not yet, child." The older man finally turned around and Jungkook could see the deep black circles under his eyes. He had stayed up all night again. 

Jungkook stood there, palms sweating and legs trembling. Fear had taken over every single inch of that young boy's body and he was now using all his strength to keep himself up. There was something about the Old Kim that made everyone fear him. Maybe it was his eyes, a deep black that was so deep that you would think that man had no soul inside of him. Or maybe it was his face as a whole, he was always serious and there was never the slightest hint of happiness in his features. Everything in him made people keep their distance, unless they were seeking death. That was good advice for anyone, especially for his sons. 

"How are your grades?" His father looked at him with a very serious demeanour.

"They are fine, sir." Jungkook was almost choking on his saliva and words, but his father would reprimand him physically if he faltered. "They are all above average."

"That is acceptable." Old Kim was now standing as he looked at his bookshelf. His back to Jungkook while he hummed a familiar tune. It was the same one Jimin would sing him from time to time and he did not like it when his father did so. That song was only acceptable in Jimin's sweet tone, when his father did it, it just felt creepy. Jungkook felt his body tremble slightly. 

"I will try harder, sir."

"Yes, Jungkook." The old man sighed. "You will."

Jungkook stared at his father and bowed slightly acknowledging his father's demand. He did not like to study nor did he like school, but he had to do well. Seokjin would always make sure he was studying and check on him from time to time. He even went to the principal's office to take care of Jungkook's problems. His father was not someone easy to reach and most of the time he was not even in Busan, so people grew used to turning to Seokjin if they needed something from Jungkook's family.

"Seong Hwan told me you broke one of the flower vases." 

Jungkook trembled at his father's remark. He did not answer the old man, but nodded slightly in acknowledgement. Indeed he had broken a vase, but it was only because it was put near his room and he could smell that awful scent even inside his room. He had grown angry at it and just decided to get rid of it. Thinking back, Jungkook knew he could have just thrown the flowers in the trash, but he ended up making a drama and breaking the vase.  _ Stupid. _ This was probably the reason he was called- those stupid foul smelling flowers would be the reason for his punishment. At least he did not smell them anymore.

"You still hate flowers that much, child?" Old Kim had finally turned to face his son again. 

"Yes, sir." Jungkook did not dare to look his father in the eye.

"Because they remind you of your mother?" He sat on the edge of the table, facing Jungkook. "Do you still hate that woman?"

"Yes, sir." There was no point in lying. He did hate that woman and had been hating her ever since he found out he had been abandoned on the doorstep of the Kim family mansion. Odd place to abandon a child, but it still was abandonment. 

A slap landed on his face and Jungkook did his best not to flinch at the pain. He knew he was going to be punished at some point, he just did not expect it would be because of the woman who had given birth to him. His cheek burned and was certainly swollen. Even though he couldn't see it, Kook knew his cheek had a red imprint of his father's hand. 

"Who are you to hate anyone?" He clicked his tongue. "The sole reason you are here today, is because of her."

Exactly. Because of her, he was there. Jungkook had everything he asked for, but he was not fond of his life. He was constantly being beaten, his brothers tried to kill each other every other day, and his father was as absent and distant as his mother. This was not a good life, but he had survived this far and maybe if he had stayed with her, he might not have lived to be 12 years old. Still, she had no right and Jungkook felt that despising her was the right thing to do. 

"Such an ungrateful child." His father grabbed him by his chin. 

Jungkook swallowed his anger and the urge to lash out at his father. 

"Do you even care if she is dead or alive?" 

"No, sir." Jungkook finally managed to speak and he told him the truth. That woman did not matter to him. Alive or dead, she was the one who chose to abandon him. She chose to let him go and she did not have the right to make Kook think good things about her. 

His father let go of his chin and Kook expected another slap, but all he did was go back to his original seat. This meant it was time for Jungkook to leave. His father was not a very talkative person, so he used his actions to convey what he wanted. He bowed politely to his father and turned to leave. Kook heard the old man clear his throat before he reached the door, but did not turn to face him. 

"Sometimes people abandon others, not because they want to, but because they have to." The Old Kim spoke at last. "Bear that in mind, Jeon Jungkook."

_ Jeon. _

Jungkook did not look at his father and left the room. Suddenly, darkness embraced him again and he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.  _ Shit. _

"Are you awake?" He heard a faint, familiar voice. 

"Hmm." Jungkook mumbled as he blinked his eyes a few times, trying to adjust himself to the bright light in his face. 

"Good." Seokjin spoke with a soft voice. "Eat something." 

_ Seokjin. _

His brother was sitting by his side, holding a bowl of something. Seokjin was alive and Jungkook could not hold back the tears he had been holding inside of him for a long time. He sat up on the bed, ignoring the pain from his shoulder, and hugged his brother tightly. As tight as he could, as if he was afraid he would disappear again. Seokjin only sighed lightly and used his free hand to stroke Kook's hair, making the young man sob. 

"It's okay." Seokjin tried to pull himself away and pushed Jungkook. "I'm okay, Jungkook." 

"I.." Kook sobbed. "Thought you were dead."

"I'm not. Don't worry about me." Seokjin managed to free himself from Jungkook and was now handing him the bowl of what seemed like soup. "Eat."

Kook grabbed the hot bowl and the spoon his brother offered him, taking small sips from it. It was awful, but he did not care. Seokjin was alive and that was all that mattered at the moment. A sharp pain made him flinch every time he lifted the spoon to his mouth. Jungkook looked at his shoulder and he could see the white bandages stained in red. He had been shot in the shoulder by Taehyung and he was now feeling bitter on the inside. 

"What happened?" Kook asked between sips. 

"You showed up."

Jungkook took his time sipping his soup.

"Kim Taehyung showed up." 

This much Jungkook knew. Taehyung had followed him to the warehouse and shot him. Seokjin had probably killed him trying to protect Kook, but he wanted to know exactly how it had happened. As much as it pained him to hear it. 

"Jackson Wang showed up."

"WHA-AAAH?" Jungkook yelled as he dropped the bowl, spilling half of his hot soup on the bed and making Seokjin curse under his breath. He was now staring at his baby brother with killing intent in his eyes. 

"What did you just say?" Kook shifted on the bed and put the bowl aside, pulling the wet covers away and leaning in closer at his brother. 

"Jackson followed you and Taehyung here." Seokjin shifted his body to distance himself from his brother. "He shot you and I shot him." 

"He's dead?" Jungkook's mouth seemed to be malfunctioning and it could not close. 

"I shot him on the leg." Seokjin closed his eyes. 

"Where is he?" 

Jin stared at his brother for a few seconds with a curious look on his face. 

"Taehyung said he would deal with Jackson." Seokjin finally got up. "He is not back yet." 

"How long have I been out?" Jungkook was trying to organize his thoughts. 

"Most of the day." Seokjin said as he got out of the room. 

Jungkook continued staring at the door long after his brother had left. He was alone in that badly lit room and started to look around. It did not seem much like a bedroom so maybe Seokjin improvised it. Apart from the bed there were a few grey lockers scattered around the room, a small desk with only a lamp and some papers on top of it . By Jungkook's side there was a metal chair leaning against the wall and a small bedside table with the lamp that lit the room, the bowl of soup standing beside it. 

For the first time in a while, Jungkook felt his heart warm. After thinking for so long that he had lost his brother, seeing him had changed everything. Seokjin was back in his life and Jungkook did not plan to leave his side anytime soon. He would help his brother to kill everyone that had tried to end the Kim family of Busan and he knew that list included Jimin. Strangely, his heart did not hurt this time. He was too determined to be pained by that. 

Jungkook did not finish the awful tasting soup. Instead he stood up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, put on his shirt and walked out of the room. Kook had no idea where he was so he just explored for a bit. There was a long corridor illuminated by white fluorescent lights, only a couple more doors apart from his. He could see there was a large room at the end of the hallway, so he headed over. 

The room looked like a living room and was better decorated than the room Jungkook had been in. He carefully stepped down the four steps that led to the room. In front of him there was a large dark wooden table in the center of the room with three black chairs on each side. It seemed like a conference room of some sort. The sliding doors were open, so Jungkook could see two couches and a small coffee table in the middle in an adjacent room. 

Seokjin was sitting on the couch. He stared at his phone for a while and then looked up at Jungkook. He seemed to be in a foul mood and his eyes were warning Jungkook to be careful about his next moves. The young man was a bit too determined and decided to approach his brother. Jin's face contorted a bit more and he licked his lips as he put down his phone and stared back at Jungkook. 

"Yes?" He asked in a serious tone.

"May I sit?" Jungkook tested the limits, wishing his politeness would help him not get murdered by his own brother. 

"Sit." 

Jungkook sat down on the couch beside the one Seokjin was sitting. He wasn't going to push his luck and sit beside his brother. Keeping his distance was safer. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

"Don't think that just because you ask, I will answer." Seokjin crossed his legs and placed his hand on his thigh. 

"Where were you?" Jungkook tried to see how much Jin would tell him. 

"Busy." Seokjin dismissed his question. 

"Jung-hwan  _ hyung _ ?" Jungkook felt as if he was pushing too much, but he needed to see just how much Seokjin was willing to answer. Jung-hwan was one of his people and Jin was very close to him. Kook knew his death would be something that hurt him. 

"Dead." Seokjin clicked his tongue. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"..." 

"Jungkook, what is it that you  _ really _ want to know?" 

"Honestly," Jungkook sighed. "I don't want to know what you did or didn't do. I don't need to know who is dead or who you killed. I just want you to tell me what we are going to do now. "

Seokjin tilted his head and looked at Jungkook with what seemed a confused face. Kook had never seen such a look on his brother's face, so he was confused. Did he do something wrong? He didn't, but when it came to Seokjin, Kook could only think he was in the wrong. 

"You have changed." His brother said at last. 

"Is that a bad thing?" 

"No." Seokjin shifted in his seat to face Jungkook. "It just means you have been in this world long enough to have understood some things."

"Like?" Curiosity in his tone. 

"That the only thing that matters is surviving." Jin sighed. 

The remark truly made Jungkook gasp. Indeed everything he had gone through in the past months made him think that he had to endure whatever it was in order to survive. His goal was to survive in order to find his brother, but now that Seokjin was in front of him, what was left?  _ Survive _ . 

"Am I interrupting the family moment?" Taehyung was smiling, his tone filled with sarcasm. 

Kim Taehyung was leaning against the wall, arms crossed as he stared at the brothers. Jungkook felt an urge to walk up to him and ask him if he was ok, but he fought against that stupid desire and remained sitting as he stared back at the man. Jungkook felt concern as soon as he focused on Taehyung's eyes. They were opaque and gloomy, as if his body did not contain a soul. Something had happened and Jungkook could see it. 

"Kim Taehyung," Seokjin did not bother to look at him as he spoke, contempt in his tone. "You're back." 

"Yes,  _ sir _ ." You could almost feel the sarcasm as he said the last word. Taehyung turned around to leave, but turned his head slightly as he did. Still he only sighed and left the room, leaving Seokjin and Jungkook alone again.

Kook felt that Taehyung wanted to say something else, like he wanted to tell Jungkook something. But in the end he only left without saying a word. The room was silent again and Seokjin looked back at Jungkook. He had become serious again and Kook could tell he was back to his normal self. 

"You should rest." Seokjin picked up his phone again. "We will have work to do soon." 

Jungkook did not bother to ask what work they would do, he knew his brother would not answer. This gave him the perfect excuse to go talk to Taehyung and see what exactly had happened to him and Jackson. Kook knew the latter was probably dead, but he still needed confirmation. He needed Taehyung to say those words.  _ Jackson is dead. _

He walked back to the long corridor and headed for his room. As he got to the door, he realized it was ajar and something in his stomach turned. It was as if he knew something would happen the moment he opened the door. He wanted Taehyung to be in there and indeed he was. Kim Taehyung was sitting on the metal chair that stood by his bed, staring at his hands. Jungkook entered the room, but did not dare to avance any further. 

"Are you okay?" Jungkook managed to ask, but Taehyung still did not look his way. 

"Why do you care?" Taehyung was serious and Jungkook became even more still. There was no telling if that man would kill him or not, so it was better to just stay away. 

"Did you kill him?" Jungkook needed to hear him say it. He wanted Taehyung to admit killing Jackson as if it was the air he needed to breathe. 

"And if I did?" Taehyung finally looked his way, his eyes were murderous. "Do you miss him,  _ puppy _ ?" 

The pain was real. Taehyung had just spoken that word and Jungkook's chest burned from the inside out. Why would he say something so hurtful? Kook wanted to answer him and wanted to hurt him just as bad. This had pained him too much. He had suffered so much in Jackson's hands, he was almost raped and in the end the man even shot him. Why the  _ fuck _ would he miss such a person? But what pained him the most, was the fact that Taehyung  _ chose _ to say those words. He chose to hurt Jungkook like that. 

"You know, Kim Taehyung." Jungkook smiled. "You are as much a monster as him."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he turned to leave. Jungkook was not going to let anyone talk to him like that, not even Taehyung. So he chose to ignore that man as much as it pained him, as much as his heart ached. He chose to leave him behind. The door closed and Jungkook leaned against it, clutching his shirt and making it wrinkle between his fingers. The pain in his shoulder acted up again as he forced his muscles. He wanted to cry, to let out all the feelings he had inside of him. But he couldn't, the pain would always be there and he knew it. Crying would not make it go away. 

He straightened himself up and walked down the corridor again, the door behind him remaining closed. Taehyung did not come after him, he did not try to apologize or anything. He was just a monster. A sadistic fuck like Jackson had been and Jungkook had been a fool to think that man was even remotely human. He shook his head as he reached the large room at the end of the hall. Seokjin was no longer sitting on the couch. Jungkook marched back to the couch he had once been sitting on and lied down, closing his eyes as soon as his head touched the soft fabric. 

\--

Jungkook could not tell how long it had been since he had closed his eyes, but there was now a hand shaking him awake, the pain in his shoulder growing more intense. Seokjin was staring at him with a serious face and Kook instantly jumped up and sat on the couch, putting a hand on his shoulder. The room seemed to be darker and gloomier than before, but he could see Taehyung sitting on the couch beside him. How long had he been there? He was as serious as Seokjin as he stared back at Jungkook. 

"You two will stay here as I deal with some business." Jin stared downwards at Jungkook. "Do you understand?"

"Are you going alone?" Jungkook felt a bit uneasy. 

"No." Seokjin straightened his suit. "There is no reason for you to worry. Stay here and try to be useful." 

Jungkook did not even have a chance to respond as Seokjin left him and Taehyung alone in the room. He heard a door slam shut and presumed it was the entrance door to the place. It was loud and clear, and now both were all alone. Kook was still mad at the elder because of his stupid remark earlier that day. As much as he wanted to look at the other, he chose not too. He would not give him the satisfaction.

"You're angry." Taehyung pulled him out of his daze, making him instantly look back at him. 

_ Shit _ . 

"Yes, good one Sherlock." Jungkook was not going to go easy on him. 

"I'm sorry." Taehyung's sentence made Jungkook choke on his own saliva and he was now coughing. 

"Y-you're what?" Jungkook was still coughing a bit. 

"Sorry." 

"That's it?" Jungkook was mad. "You hurt people and then say sorry?" 

"Am I supposed to do anything else?" Taehyung seemed genuinely confused, but Jungkook did not care. He was venting out his pain. 

"No, Kim Taehyung, you're not." He stood up. "But I am and that's staying the fuck away from a piece of shit like you." 

Even though Jungkook was up, he was just standing still. He was just staring ahead as if there was an invisible wall that prevented him from moving forward. 

"Are you going to continue this tantrum?" Sarcasm embedded in his tone. 

This was it. Something clicked inside of Jungkook and the words began to pour out alongside his feelings. He could not control it, but in the end he knew this was not bad. 

"Taehyung, do you know how I felt when you said that? When you called me that? You think I  _ liked _ it when he called me that? I'm a fucking human being."

Taehyung did not dare to interrupt him even when he stopped to inhale more air. 

"I was used and abused by that man so many times that at some point I began to think it was normal for someone to abuse me like that. That it was okay for him to put a string on my neck and choke me just for the fun of it." Jungkook sighed. "At some point I started to believe I fucking  _ deserved _ it. That being used by a psychopath like him was the best I would ever get in my life." 

"Jungkook..." Taehyung tried to say something but Jungkook interrupted him. 

"And then you showed up that night. You made me feel safe when all I wanted was to kill myself." Jungkook pulled his sleeve and showed his wrist to Taehyung. "Not that it was the first time I felt like doing so, but you made me forget that I wanted to die instead of living that life. For a few minutes, you made the pain go away."

"..."

"You made me feel something good, you know? And I couldn't even reject you afterwards. You were just something good in the midst of all the chaos and you used that in your favor." Jungkook pulled his sleeve down and hid his wrist again as he sighed. "Then you called me  _ puppy _ . You used that word because you  _ knew _ it would hurt. Because that's who you are. Because you are evil in your core and you don't have an inch of empathy inside of you." 

"I didn't mean it." Taehyung sighed. 

"No, Taehyung." Jungkook fought back the tears that wanted to escape. "You  _ meant _ it. You  _ really _ wanted to say that. There is no point in lying to me and to yourself. I get that you suffered and I get that you were hurt at some point, but that does not give you the right to hurt the people that care about you just because you feel like it." 

"People that care about me?" Taehyung finally stood up and was now staring at Jungkook, fire in his eyes. "Are you going to say you care about me? You care about what I feel? Don't be pathetic." 

"Are you so afraid of that, that you have to push people away by hurting them like that?" Jungkook crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Old Min really fucked you up, didn't he?" 

Jungkook knew that it was evil of him to mention the man that turned him into what he was and he regretted it the moment those words left his mouth. But it was as it was, Taehyung hurt him and he hurt him back. Jungkook would have to deal with the aftermath of his choice of words and that was something that it would not be easy. 

"Yes, Jungkook." Taehyung sat back down and smiled up to Jungkook. "He did a great job." 

"Yes, he did." Jungkook was too tired to keep the strong pose and leaned against the wall. "And you still helped me that night." 

"You needed help." Taehyung did not look at Jungkook, but his tone was angry. 

"Why help me?" Jungkook wanted to look in his eyes, but Taehyung refused to make eye contact. "You could have told me to leave, but you cared. You held me. You touched me like that. Why?"

"You want me to say I did it because I care about you? Because there was more to it than just helping a person?" Taehyung finally looked up, his eyes were on fire again. 

"I just want to know why you did it." Jungkook sighed. "Why care about me?" 

"Because I know how it feels to be completely desperate. To be so lost and afraid that you prefer death." Taehyung cursed under his breath. "Because you looked like me." 

"W-what?" Jungkook was startled. 

"Yes, Jungkook." Taehyung stood up again. "Your life was shitty and so was mine."

"..."

"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings." He turned to leave, Jungkook still couldn't move. "And for the record, I did not use you. I don't like using people. What I did was because I wanted to and because I knew you wanted it too."


	19. KILL

Jungkook stood frozen in place for a long time, trying to digest what had happened a few moments ago. Taehyung had already left, but Jungkook still felt he could see his back as he walked away from him. It was complicated to say the least. For a long time, he felt used by Taehyung only to discover that he had also wanted Jungkook. At least he wanted him in that sauna. This made things even worse. 

After a while, Jungkook finally broke free from his thoughts and slumped back onto the couch. He still could not believe the words that had come out of Taehyung's mouth. What did he mean when he said Jungkook looked like him? Was that a good or a bad thing? Jungkook was trying to make sense of those words, but his train of thought was broken by the grumbling noises of his stomach. 

Kook looked down and stared at his stomach for a second. He had not eaten the full bowl of soup and that had been hours ago, so he was bound to be hungry at this point. Jungkook had no idea if there was even a kitchen in that place, but he went looking for one. After walking around a bit, he discovered the kitchen stood by the entrance. It was extremely small and only had a couple of cabinets, a small refrigerator, an electric kettle and a portable stove. Jungkook found it funny, since he knew Seokjin liked to cook. A kitchen like that for someone like his brother was a complete nightmare. 

After searching the refrigerator and the cabinets, the only thing he could find was a few packages of ramyeon. There wasn't even any kimchi, which made Kook disappointed but he still boiled some water and poured it on the ramyeon. As he poured the water onto the noodles, he thought about Taehyung. He did not want to talk to him or even be close to him- Kook was still hurt. But he could at least give the man some food, so he picked up another package and boiled more water. 

Jungkook carried the two bowls back to the bigger room and placed them on the conference table in the middle. Kook looked down the hall and felt a bit of uneasiness in his stomach, but he decided to ignore it and call Taehyung to eat the food. He walked down the hall and past his room. The man's door was open and Jungkook could see the inside of the room and he could see Taehyung, his bare back facing the young man. 

Kook gaped as he stared at Taehyung's scarred back. It was not a typical scar, it was as if someone had cut angel wings. There were two long reddish scars below each of his shoulders that went almost to the middle of his back. They were wide and looked painful. 

The dinner at Min Yoongi's house months before came back to his mind and Jungkook could remember every single word Taehyung had said that day. It made the scars look even more painful. 

_ Two parallel cuts on each shoulder.  _

_ Dangle from the ceiling.  _

_ Very few people live to tell the story and if they do, it's only because he wants them to. _

Jungkook could not stop staring as Taehyung put his shirt back on. He knew what those scars were and he knew who had made them.  _ Jackson _ . He could begin to understand Taehyung's hatred towards Jackson and why the two of them were always so cold to each other. As he got lost in his own thoughts, he did not realize Taehyung had finished putting on his shirt and had turned around, staring back at Jungkook. 

"Do you need something?" He did not seem happy to see Jungkook staring at him. 

"I made ramyeon." Jungkook finally snapped out of his daze. "Do you want it?"

"You made it?" 

"Yes." He tried to look as if he casually did it and not show he had thought of Taehyung as he made a second bowl. "I put it on the big table, come if you want."

Jungkook left trying to look unamused, but his mind was a complete mess. Taehyung's scars had made his stomach turn and got him thinking about Jackson. This was  _ bad _ . Jungkook sat at the table and put the bowl in front of him, playing with the chopsticks between his fingers. 

Why did Jackson let Taehyung live? Jungkook had never seen Jackson perform the angel torture and he was extremely grateful he hadn’t. He had grown used to the blood and gore, but there was a limit to what he could endure. That was just too sadistic for him, even though he had seen the  _ Lingchi _ torture and a few other special techniques Jackson had used a few times. More than he cared to admit. 

The chair opposite Jungkook was pulled back, the sound making him stare at the man who was now in front of him. 

"Thank you." Taehyung said as he picked up the chopsticks. 

"It was the only thing Seokjin had in the kitchen." Jungkook used his chopsticks to pick up a mouthful of noodles and shove it in his mouth. 

"Better than nothing." Taehyung smiled slightly. 

Just a smile was enough for Jungkook to feel the heat inside of him grow stronger and he could not fight back the small smile that had formed on his own lips. He was still mad at Taehyung, but as much as he tried, he could not hold back what he was feeling. It was  _ good. _ All this even made it possible for him to ignore the sweet metallic scent Taehyung gave off. It made eating complicated, but he could ignore it for a few minutes. 

"Can I ask you something?" Jungkook blurted out. 

"You can ask anything." Taehyung lifted his head and smiled again. "It does not mean I will answer."

"What did you do to Jackson?" This question had been lying in the back of his mind since Seokjin had told him that Taehyung had dealt with Jackson. 

"Do you really want to know?" He did not even lift his eyes from the food. 

"I don't know."

"He had information and I had to get it." Taehyung was looking at Jungkook again. 

"You tortured him." 

"Yes." Taehyung slurped the noodles. "For a while."

"A long time?"

"Does that matter?"

"Not really." Jungkook stared back at his own noodles, which were now sad and soggy. 

"He felt pain, Jungkook." Taehyung stopped eating and stared at him. "The same pain he liked to inflict on others."

"..."

"I'm no saint and I will not say what I did was justice." Taehyung continued. ”It wasn't.”

"What was it?" 

"Revenge." Taehyung finished the noodles and picked up the bowl so he could drink the soup inside. Jungkook only stared. 

"Why?" 

"Because I wanted to." Taehyung propped his head on his hands that were on top of the table, almost looking cute if it wasn't for the murderous aura he was emitting. "Because I could make him suffer and so I did."

"Do you like doing that?" Jungkook was blunt. "Making people suffer?"

"If I feel they deserve it, yes." 

"How do you do it?" 

"I have already showed you." Taehyung laughed in a somber way. 

"BB..." Jungkook sighed.

"Yes." 

"Why?"

"Why what?" Taehyung crossed his legs as he pushed his chair back. "Why did I kill him or why did I do that to him?"

"Both." 

"Because I could not let him tell anyone what he had found out." Taehyung smiled. "But I did not torture him."

"His face..." The memory made Jungkook's stomach turn and he put his hand on his mouth, as if he was trying to stop himself from throwing up. 

"I only did that to scare you." 

"Why are you like that?"

"Like what?" Taehyung had his eyebrow arched and he leaned in closer to the desk like Jungkook was going to tell him a secret. "Evil? Soulless? A monster? A sadist? What do you take me for?" 

"Like someone who wants people to believe you are just pure evil." Jungkook pushed his bowl away from him, the smell making him even more nauseous than before. The sweet smell was just too overpowering and the blood scent reminded him of the abandoned warehouse where he had found BB. 

"Aren't I?" 

"I don't know, Taehyung." Jungkook sighed and put his hand on his nose, trying to make the scent go away. 

"My scent is making you sick?" Taehyung laughed loudly. 

"What?" Jungkook felt confused as to how he would know about his aversion to the smell.

"You told me I smell like flowers and blood." Taehyung smelled his own wrist. "I always found it funny."

"Why?" 

"Because I hate both those smells." 

Jungkook was confused. How could Taehyung smell like something he hated? Kook always thought his smell was due to his choice of perfume and the scent of blood was just stuck to his skin because of the people he had killed, but now that man had just told him he did not like that scent at all. At this point, Jungkook was feeling insane. Like everything had been a nightmare he would wake up from any time. Still, his eyes only focused on Taehyung. 

The elder man stood up and picked up both bowls on the table before he went away. Jungkook was still frozen in place trying to understand what tricks his mind was playing on him. He thought back to the first time they met and that was the first time he had smelled it, the blood lilly scent Taehyung gave off. Every single time after that, his smell grew even stronger, almost suffocating. But that night they were both alone in the room and Jungkook rested his head on Taehyung's shoulder, the smell was  _ good _ . 

He did not feel nauseated or backed away by it, quite the opposite. Jungkook wanted more,  _ needed _ more of that, because that was Taehyung. He knew the other man was there and he wanted to fill his lungs with that sweet metallic scent. 

A glass of water was put in front of him, bringing him back to reality. Taehyung did not leave right away and Jungkook could feel the man standing awfully close to him, his hot breath on his neck. 

"Drink some water." Taehyung was almost whispering in his ear, making Jungkook shiver. 

Jungkook did not thank him, afraid that he would say something stupid the moment he opened his mouth. Just that simple interaction had already made his body temperature rise and his heart beat faster. If Taehyung got any closer, he would see it. He would  _ feel _ it. A hand went up his spine and stopped at the back of his neck, tightening slightly. His eyes closed instantly. For Jungkook that was pleasure, one that he could only get from Taehyung. Jackson had done the same thing to him over and over, but it never had the same effect as Taehyung's touch. 

"You like that, baby?" Taehyung whispered in his ear. 

Jungkook swallowed hard. 

"Don't." The young man struggled but managed to moan the words. He could not cave into his own desires at a moment like this. 

The fingers quickly let go and his neck was free again. He turned his head to see Taehyung smiling at him maliciously. 

"You..." He could not finish the sentence. 

Jungkook wanted to beg for more even though he knew he should not do so. He was just surprised Taehyung let go so easily. He just  _ asked _ . 

"I won't do it if you don't want me to." He laughed. "I'm not him." 

Jungkook knew exactly who Taehyung was referring to.  _ Jackson _ . He did not want to be compared to such a person and Kook could understand why. Still, Jungkook could not understand how someone who liked making him  _ obey _ would be able to hear the word no and just stop. The whole interaction had become extremely bizarre. First they argued, now they were interacting in a sexual manner. It was confusing, to say the least. 

"Good night,  _ sir _ ." Taehyung said in an extremely sarcastic way. 

When he turned his head, Jungkook could see Seokjin staring at him as he leaned against the door frame on top of the stairs. Taehyung walked past him like he was non important. How much had he seen? The look on his brother's face told him that he had probably watched the entire thing and now knew him and Taehyung interacted in such a manner. This was  _ bad _ . 

"Seokjin." Jungkook stood up quickly, almost falling over with the rush. "Sir."

His brother did not bother to say anything in return. He slowly went down the stairs and walked until he was standing in front of Jungkook. His face was extremely serious and he sighed loudly. Jungkook swallowed hard. Seokjin put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes, taking out two cigarettes. He offered one to Jungkook who took it without hesitating. Jin sat down on the chair beside the one Jungkook had been sitting on and lit his cigarette, exhaling a big cloud of smoke. 

"We are traveling the day after tomorrow." Seokjin tapped lightly on the filter of his cigarette. Ashes falling into the glass of water. 

"Yes, sir." Jungkook sat back down, extending his hand to grab the lighter that was sitting on the table. 

"Jungkook." Another cloud of smoke came out of Seokjin's mouth. 

"Yes, sir?" 

"In this world you should not mix business with pleasure." Jin tapped on the filter again and stared at the glass of water, the liquid becoming cloudy. "It will not be a happy ending."

\--

Jungkook was driving. Seokjin sat by his side and Taehyung sat on the back seat, staring at the outside as always. Kook had looked at the rearview mirror a few times already and he just did it without even thinking about it. Taehyung’s face was good to look at and Jungkook liked the way he looked whenever he stared out the window. It was peaceful. 

“Focus on the road, Jungkook.” Seokjin did not take his eyes from his phone as he scolded Jungkook. 

“Yes, sir.” He bowed slightly and focused back on the road. 

Now that the end of the year conference had finished, the Families were back in their territories. The three men were making their way to Gwangju, home of the Jung Family.  _ Hoseok _ . Seokjin had explained they were going to make new allies or strengthen ties with those who were already on their side. This meant paying visits to all those families in their own territories, which could be dangerous. After visiting Hoseok, they would head down to Daegu. The second most dangerous territory after Seoul. This time they would not be visiting Yoongi, but the  _ Yowang _ of Daegu, Bae Joo Hyun. 

Seokjin knew her and they were not exactly close, but in a time where allies were needed, every single one counted and someone as strong and powerful as Joo Hyun was a good acquisition. Jungkook could not say he was excited to see those women again, but he had to endure it quietly. It really did not matter what he thought about them or not, they were needed. 

They were close to Gwangju when Seokjin received a phone call. Both Taehyung and Jungkook shifted a bit in their seats, focusing their attention on the call.

_ “We are near.” _ Seokjin seemed annoyed. 

Jungkook looked at the rear view mirror and Taehyung was looking back at him. Both men were serious. 

_ “Just be ready.”  _ He sighed. 

Was he annoyed at Hoseok?

_ “I will not discuss this. Don’t push it.” _

The call ended and Seokjin was in a bad mood. Jungkook looked back at Taehyung who had his usual sly smile on his face. He probably knew something Kook didn’t. 

Not long after, they arrived in Gwangju. The address was easy to find and in no time they arrived at Hoseok’s mansion. It was a very modern house with a beautiful front garden. The winter weather was not gentle on the plants, but Jungkook could clearly see those plants would certainly bloom in spring time. The view made him smile. Apparently,  _ everything _ about Hoseok made him smile. 

Kook parked the car where the staff told him to. The three men left the car and walked towards the house. The inside was well decorated and colorful- Jungkook felt that it matched the owner's personality. Seokjin led the way and after a few turns, they arrived in a colorful studio. Hoseok was sitting in an armchair staring at a magazine that seemed to be about contemporary art. 

“Seokjinie!” He stood up with his signature smile as soon as they entered the room. 

“Hoseok.” Jin bowed slightly. 

“Stop the formalities.” He smiled gently. “My house, my rules.” 

Both Jungkook and Taehyung bowed slightly as well, greeting Hoseok. 

“Jungkook!” His smile was even brighter than before. “I’m  _ so _ happy to see you again!”

His attention finally landed on Taehyung, his eyes traveling up and down the man. For the first time Jungkook saw Hoseok look serious and he seemed to be a bit angry. Strangely enough, his lips had taken the shape of a heart. Kook found that  frighteningly adorable. 

“Taehyung-ssi.” He scoffed. “Never thought I’d have someone like  _ you _ inside my house.”

“Mr. Jung.” Taehyung smiled at him with his malicious smile, making Jungkook feel a bit jealous. “Always a pleasure.” 

“Save it, you snake.” Hoseok hissed. “I would kill you right now if Seokjin was not protecting your two faced ass. I still don't know why he would associate himself with someone like you. The only reason I have kept you alive this far is because of him.”

“Mr. Kim is so  _ generous _ .” Taehyung’s smile did not falter once. 

“I am not.” Seokjin intervened. “You are alive because you are useful. Now sit and be quiet.” 

Taehyung bowed and sat down quietly. Jungkook was a bit confused by the whole aggressive interaction he had just witnessed, but in the end he sat down beside Taehyung. Hoseok sat back on the chair that he was initially sitting on and Seokjin could only sit opposite him. They stared at each other for a few moments, the smile gradually returning to Hoseok’s face. 

“You know why I am here.” Seokjin sighed. “Do I have to say it?”

“I love it when you beg.” Hoseok laughed out loud, his laughter almost contagious. 

“Hoseok,” Seokjin hissed. “Don’t push your luck.”

“Fine.” Hoseok reclined on his chair. “I will support you, as always.”

“I need you to make a few phone calls.” 

“You know I hate talking on the phone, Jinie.” He sounded just like a spoiled kid. 

“Hoseok…” Seokjin had a warning tone. 

“Fine, fine.” Hoseok rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so bossy.”

Seokjin looked at Jungkook with a gaze that meant he was supposed to leave and he knew that was meant for both him and Tehyung. He stood up and bowed to Hoseok and his brother, looking at Taehyung as the elder bowed and followed Jungkook out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

Both men were now standing in the hallway looking at each other, a bit of a tension in the air. For some reason Jungkook was sure Taehyung knew more about the subject and could help him understand who were the people Seokjin wanted Hoseok to call.

“Who is he going to call?” Jungkook asked in a low voice. 

“The right people.” Taehyung was smiling at him, leaning forward a bit as he whispered. 

“Don’t be an asshole.” Jungkook rolled his eyes. “Who?”

“You've met all of them.”

“I have?” Jungkook was confused. 

“Yes.” Taehyung was smiling maliciously again. 

“ _ Yowang _ ?” 

“Yes.” 

“And who are the others?” Jungkook was almost hitting Taehyung so he would stop being so annoying. 

“Your brother only needs one more supporter after he gets  _ Yowang _ and Hoseok on his side.”

“Who?” 

“Kim Junmyeon.” Taehyung was leaning even closer now, making Jungkook shiver slightly.

The angel of Seoul and Namjoon’s biggest enemy, Kim Junmyeon. Jungkook was not really fond of him after being beaten up by his men, but he still found him better than most people in that world. At least he was  _ polite _ . Jungkook knew he was stronger than most families, exactly because he ruled half of the capital and had business all over the country and all around Asia. No one would be stupid to go against him. Seokjin needed him if he wanted to end Namjoon and Jungkook now knew they would be going to Seoul after they finished their business in Daegu. 

Taehyung did not wait for Jungkook to finish his train of thought and just left him behind, making the youngest chase after him. As Kook reached the elder, he touched his shoulder slightly and felt Taehyung tense at the touch. He looked back at Jungkook, his eyes filled with murderous intent. The youth was startled at the sight and instantly removed his hand from the shoulder. 

“Baby,” He was smiling, but the dark miasma around him was only getting thicker. “Do  _ not _ touch me. 

Taehyung turned around and continued walking, leaving the youngest’s sight. Jungkook could only stand still for a while, waiting for the fear to disperse. 

\--

Jungkook had smoked almost all of his cigarettes when a staff member finally told him that his brother had called him inside. He put out the rest of his cigarette and headed inside as quickly as possible. When he finally arrived back at the study, Taehyung was already sitting inside in the same spot he had been before. 

“Jungkook!” Hoseok greeted him loudly. 

The young man bowed slightly and sat down again. 

“Now that we are all here, let me explain a few things.” Hoseok spoke as he walked around the room. 

“Taehyung-ssi,” He turned his gaze to Taehyung, disgust all over his face. “I do not trust you.”

“I am quite aware, sir.” Taehyung had his sly smile on his lips.

“If I even imagine you betraying those under my protection.” He smiled as he stopped his walking and stared at Taehyung. “It will be my pleasure to make you smile.” 

Taehyung did not answer but Jungkook could see he was not happy with what Hoseok had said to him. Kook feared both men would end up killing each other in that room. 

“Jungkook,” Hoseok pulled him out of his gruesome thoughts. “I have discussed this with your brother and I need you to listen closely.” 

The young man bowed slightly acknowledging his duties. 

“I cannot explain the reason at this moment.” Hoseok sighed. “But you are an important piece in all this.” 

“I am?” Jungkook was confused. 

“Yes, you are.” Hoseok sat down, his smile long gone. “I need you to do as I tell you. No questions asked. Can you do that?” 

“Yes, sir.” Jungkook could feel the pain in his chest grow. It had been a while since he last felt it. 

“Good.” Hoseok sighed loudly, his gaze shifted to Taehyung. “Now, kill Kim Taehyung.” 


	20. BREATHE

Jungkook was frozen in place. He could feel the blood leaving his face and he was probably as white as snow at this point. He did not take his eyes off Hoseok, afraid he might see Taehyung's face looking back at him with rage or disappointment. He had just promised he would do as he was told. He would do anything, but he didn't think that meant killing someone. Killing Taehyung. His eyes flew back and forth from Hoseok to his brother and back again, trying to see if this was real or not. Seokjin seemed impatient and stood up, offering Jungkook a knife. 

As soon as his eyes rested on the blade, his heart sank. He knew that knife all too well. Old Kim was its previous owner. He enjoyed using it very much and Jungkook had marks in his body to prove. The black handle had a few birds carved into it with green and gold details. If you were not on the receiving end of his blade, you might actually think it was an exquisite weapon. 

His trembling fingers reached out and touched the cold blade, Seokjin had a faint smile in his lips. He was  _ enjoying _ this. Jungkook knew that apart from him, no one had good feelings towards Taehyung. Maybe because he was a sadistic psychopath or maybe because he was an asshole to most people, no one was fond of him. So Kook knew both those men would probably enjoy seeing him bleed out on the expensive looking rug on the floor. 

"Well?" Hoseok asked. 

Jungkook did not answer the elder man, but his fingers ran up and down on the blade's sharp edge, almost drawing his own blood. It was finally time for him to turn to Taehyung and face the man he was supposed to kill. The pain in his chest was exploding and Kook knew he was almost on the verge of passing out. It had to be done fast. Jackson had taught him exactly how to kill a person quickly and how to make them suffer for a while. He would not do that to Taehyung, it would be fast. He would not suffer in Jungkook's hands. 

His gaze turned to the side, seeing Taehyung's features bit by bit. It was amazing how Jungkook was not sweating profusely, but maybe it was because he was so focused on not passing out, that he did not even have the ability to sweat anymore. His eyes finally met with Taehyung's and to his terror, the man was smiling.  _ As always _ . He was probably hiding everything inside. Hiding deep inside him the anger and disappointment at Jungkook. He had said he cared, still he wielded the knife that would end his life.  _ Fuck _ . 

Kook turned his body and was now facing his target completely. One swift move and his neck would flow blood on the floor. The sweet smell of death would permeate the room and there would not be Taehyung's smell anymore. Just the sweet reminder that death came to collect its prize. He would be gone and easily forgotten, as if he had not even existed in the first place. The pain was beginning to be too strong to handle. Jungkook knew he had to act fast before he passed out from the splitting pain in his chest. 

His hand raised the knife and it was soon resting against Taehyung's neck. Jungkook wanted to say he was sorry. That he did not want to do that. He wanted him to say that he forgave him and his actions, that he understood. Kook knew he would not get any of those. He would kill the man and live the rest of his life with a feeling of guilt inside of him. Jungkook did not realize, but he was pressing the blade a bit too strongly against Taehyung's skin making a small incision that was already spilling blood. 

Jungkook's eyes widened at the sight. All he had to do now was pull and the neck would be cut open, the blood would flow profusely and there would be no way to save him.  _ I'm sorry _ . Kook took a deep breath and began to pull the knife towards him, the cut becoming bigger. 

"Stop." Seokjin ordered. 

The young man was taken aback as he looked back at his brother, eyes wide and breathing erratic. 

"That's enough." Hoseok agreed. 

Jungkook dropped the knife and stood up quickly. Too quickly. He could feel his blood pressure drop and he sank to the floor defeated. His knees hitting the rug and making a muffled thud sound. He was looking down, clutching his chest and trying to breathe, but the air was not coming in.  _ Panic attack _ . Jungkook could not breathe at all, his desperate attempts were only hoarse sounds that made him look desperate. 

"Jungkook?" Hoseok asked.

He could not answer. Hell, he couldn't  _ breathe _ . The pain exploding inside his chest, burning like wildfire. The hoarse sound became even louder as he failed to get air inside his lungs.

_ I. Can't. Breathe. _

That's when the hand in his hair appeared.  _ Seokjin _ . Jungkook did not bother to look up to see his brother running his fingers through his hair. Calming him. The pain slowly began to fade. The fingers were soft and had a calm pace that Jungkook used as reference for his own breathing. It had been years since the last time Seokjin calmed him like that and it was usually because of a storm. The air slowly began to flow back into his lungs making the hoarse sound fade. 

"Breathe, baby." He heard the deep voice whisper in his ear. 

Jungkook's eyes opened immediately as soon as he heard the voice.  _ Taehyung _ . He was kneeling in front of him as he ran his fingers through his hair and helped him to breathe. The man that had been comforting and helping him was not his brother, it was Taehyung. Even though he had just tried to kill him, that man was still by his side as he calmed him. His heart was beating faster but there was no pain, there was nothing bad about it. It was just like that night. The touch. The smell. The affection. It was all Jungkook wanted. All he  _ needed _ . 

"Jungkook, are you alright?" Hoseok asked again.

The young man could not speak, but he nodded in agreement. 

"Good." Hoseok sighed loudly as he slumped back on the chair he had gotten up from. "Shit, I thought you were going to die."

Kook shook his head as if saying no. 

"Seokjinie." Hoseok was panting. "I wasn't trying to kill your baby brother."

"I know." Jin was bitter. 

"He...he," The panting was even worse. "I didn't know. I just..."

"Hoseok," Seokjin hissed. "Shut up, please." 

Jungkook was beginning to breathe normally again. Taehyung was staring at him, his eyes speaking louder than everything else. He was there. Kook was safe. In the end, it was all that mattered. Taehyung helped him up and now Jungkook was breathless, but at least he was breathing again. The other man's hand stabilizing him as he stood up. 

"I will do as you tell me." Jungkook struggled to speak. "But don't fucking use me like this." 

"We needed to know if you would be able to do such a thing." Seokjin had a serious face. 

"I will do shit." Jungkook was mad. "But be a fucking man about it and say it straight to my face. Don't play stupid games, Seokjin." 

"Mind your tone, Jungkook."

"Enough." Hoseok intervened. His hand covering his eyes as he sighed. "I'm sorry about that Jungkook. It really was necessary." 

" _ Was _ it?" Taehyung had his sarcastic tone back. 

"Please sit down so we can have a proper adult conversation." Hoseok ignored Taehyung's remark. 

Taehyung helped Jungkook to sit back down, keeping his hand on him until he was properly seated. When his hand left, Jungkook gave him a whiny look that he knew the older man understood. He wanted that hand to stay there for as long as possible. Taehyung smiled maliciously at him as if he was just letting him know he understood exactly what he wanted.  _ So good _ . 

"Let me be blunt." Hoseok adjusted himself on the chair. "The Kim family of Busan is fucked."

No one interrupted him, so he continued. 

"Everyone knows the drugs come in through Busan and that the Kims are the ones who make shit happen." Hoseok rubbed his hands together. "So if the drug that was supposed to be high grade turns out to be some cut down low grade shit, people are not going to blame the supplier but the distributor." 

"We are the distributor." Jungkook breathed out. 

"Exactly." Hoseok leaned forward. 

"If the drugs that were supposed to be top grade are shit, that lowers a family's profit." Seokjin added. "People who are used to buying high grade will not want to get low grade coke."

"And everyone is blaming us for the decrease in their profit." Jungkook was starting to make sense of the problem at hand. 

"Namjoon and Yoongi are using this as an excuse to end our family." Seokjin was angry. 

"By removing the Kim family from the equation, things would get cheaper for the smaller families and that's a big increase in their profits." Hoseok licked his lips and clicked his tongue. "But Namjoon has no intention of letting that happen." 

"No?" Jungkook felt a bit lost. 

"He's a control freak. He wants as much power as he can get." Seokjin began to explain. "He won't ever let those small families in charge of something so crucial as the drugs."

"Namjoon is lying to those families by making them believe they will gain control and increase their profits if they help him bring the Kim family down." Hoseok explained.

"But they cannot go against him once they see that it was all a lie." Jungkook finally understood the plan. 

"Exactly." Hoseok nodded in agreement. " They are just pawns in his game." 

"So now we have to clean our name and get powerful people on our side." Seokjin said at last. 

" _ Yowang _ and Junmyeon." Jungkook sighed. 

"I'm important too." Hoseok tried to lighten up the mood, to no avail. 

"So we are going to talk to them and hope they stand by our side to help us kill Yoongi and Namjoon?" Jungkook asked bluntly. 

"This is an interest game, Jungkook." Seokjin was not happy with the situation. "If they think that it's more interesting for their business to stand by our side, then they will support us." 

"If not," Jungkook was unamused. "They will kill us." 

"Yes." Hoseok sighed. 

"But if we are not the ones who are cutting the drug." Jungkook looked at Seokjin. "Who 

is?" 

"If?" Seokjin was mad at the remark. 

"That is something  _ I _ will take care of." Hoseok smiled. "Do not worry, Jungkook." 

The men talked for a while longer and then Hoseok excused himself to take care of his own business for a while. Jungkook was the first one to exit the room, marching outside to smoke. His fingers trembled lightly as he lit up the cigarette. 

"Are you okay?" Seokjin asked in a soft tone. 

"Yes." 

"I will not apologize for making you do that." He sighed. "I just hope you understand why I did it." 

"I understand, Seokjin." Jungkook hissed. "It does not mean I liked it or find it acceptable."

"You like him." 

"I will not talk about this with you." Jungkook stepped away. 

"Jungkook," Jin sighed. "I know how it feels like when people use what you care about against you." 

"And?" Jungkook was curious, but he did not want to let it show so he just spoke with an attitude. 

"And it hurts." Seokjin fished his own pack of smokes out of his pocket. "It fucking hurts."

They smoked silently after that. Jungkook was afraid to see Taehyung again after all that had happened in that room, so he took his time smoking. What was he supposed to say? Sorry I almost killed you? Sorry I had a panic attack and made you take care of me? Sorry I'm a weak fuck that cannot handle the idea of killing you? This was as bad as it could get and Jungkook knew Seokjin was right. It fucking hurt. 

His brother headed inside first and Jungkook just stayed in the garden observing the burned grass. His mind was a complete mess and he did not want to deal with anything at that moment. Things had taken a wrong turn at some point that day and now everything seemed to be going to shit. Taehyung had disappeared somewhere and Jungkook could not blame him, he had cut his neck with a fucking knife and made him take care of him in front of two powerful men that could use that against him. 

The cigarette was burned up until the filter and Jungkook stepped on it to put it out. He stared back at the house.  _ Shit _ . He wished he could just stay in that cold garden for a while and not deal with all the shit that was waiting for him inside. They still had to finish their business with Hoseok and Kook knew that would take a while. They needed to plan their next moves carefully and make sure there was no space for problems to occur. It was going to be a long day. 

Jungkook walked back inside the house, heading directly to the office. As soon as he turned the last corner, he saw Taehyung staring out of the window in front of the room. He could not see the cut on his neck, but Jungkook felt a bit of pain in his heart as soon as he saw the other man. He looked so peaceful as he looked out the window. 

"See something you like?" Taehyung was not looking at him, but he was smiling maliciously again. 

Jungkook was a bit startled but walked calmly towards the other man. 

"I'm sorry." He managed to say.

"For trying to kill me?" Taehyung still did not look in his direction. "You would not be the first." 

"I..." Jungkook sighed. "I didn't want.." 

"Jungkook," He finally turned to face him and Jungkook could see the red cut on his neck. The sight made his heart tighten. "It's okay."

"It's not." Jungkook was exasperated and his pitch became a bit high. "I hurt you." 

"And?" Taehyung was being dismissive. 

"And?" Jungkook was slightly mad. "And I don't want to!" 

"How adorable." Taehyung was staring out the window again. "You care about me." 

This was one of those moments Jungkook should keep quiet. He was not supposed to answer anything and give Taehyung reasons to use anything against him, but Jungkook was not a bright person when it came to his feelings. Especially his feelings towards Taehyung. He could leave. He could make a sarcastic comment. But he chose otherwise, he chose to say something stupid because he was hurt and mad. 

"Yes, Taehyung." His face growing red. "I do." 

Taehyung laughed. He did not just laugh, he almost cried laughing. A loud and honest laughter that Jungkook had never seen before. If this was at any other moment, he would have instantly laughed along by seeing the happiness on that man's face. Now he could only put on a sour face as he listened to Taehyung mock him. 

"I hate repeating myself." He looked at Jungkook again. "But I've already told you that you should not desire things you cannot have, Jungkook." 

"And you should stop being an asshole to the only person that seems to care if you live or die." Jungkook hissed as he moved away and opened the door to the office. 

Taehyung did not answer him, but Jungkook was not in the mood to listen to any more of his stupid remarks. It was hard enough as it was without the need of his sarcastic behavior. Jungkook entered the room and sat back on the chair he had been sitting previously. Seokjin and Hoseok looked at him with a bit of concern on their faces. 

"Are you alright, Jungkook?" Hoseok asked in a soft tone. 

"Fine." Jungkook faked a smile and tried to seem as if he was okay with everything that had happened that day. 

"Where is Kim Taehyung?" Seokjin asked. 

Jungkook turned his head and looked at the hallway where Tahyung should be staring out the window, but there was no one there. The hallway was empty and there was no sign of the other man. Jungkook's heart sank as he thought he was the reason for him to have left. He looked back at Seokjin and he could see the concern on his brother's face. 

"I'll ask someone to bring him back." Hoseok said at last. 

The elder man grabbed his phone and talked to someone, making sure the person understood who it was they had to bring back to the office. Seokjin waited for Hoseok to end his call and began talking business again, but Jungkook was not very fond of the subject. They were just planning how they would stay in a certain part of Daegu where Yoongi had no control and do the same in Seoul. Seokjin talked about his connections with smaller families and the arrangements he had made for them to back him up. 

Some of the deals done included less taxes on top of products the Kims provided, a cut on their rent and other things that would decrease their family’s profit, but it was nothing compared to being extinguished because of people's greed. So the cut would be the lesser evil in this scenario. Jungkook was trying to pay attention to the details, but his mind could not completely focus on anything at the moment. 

The door to the room was opened again and Jungkook turned around to see Taehyung enter the room. His face was angry and he could see something had happened during the time he had stayed out.

"We have a problem." Taehyung spoke, confirming Jungkook's suspicions. 

"What happened?" Hoseok seemed concerned. 

"Yoongi and Jimin." Taehyung scoffed. "They did something we did not anticipate."

"What?" Seokjin was angry. 

"Yoongi reached out to Yuto." Taehyung sighed. 

Jungkook had never seen Taehyung sigh in such a manner, like this was the worst case scenario. And it probably was. Kook did not know who Yuto was, but with a name like that he was probably Japanese and that meant they had reached out to the Japanese mafia. From what Jungkook had learned, the Japanese were not to be taken lightly. They had their way of doing business, but the problem was that they were ruthless when doing so. 

"When?" Hoseok hissed. 

"Two days ago." Taehyung sat down. "He is probably already here." 

"Who is Yuto?" Jungkook managed to interrupt the older men.

"He is in charge of the Japanese mafia in South Korea." Seokjin said in a concerned tone. "He is not someone you would want to piss off." 

"So he's bad?" 

"No." Taehyung was serious. "He's a problem." 

"A big problem." Hoseok sighed loudly as he put his hand on his forehead. 

The Yuto situation was their main discussion for the rest of the day. Hoseok made phone calls non stop while Seokjin talked to his people. They were both focused on finding a way to get around that problem. That big ass problem. Taehyung was also on his phone, typing like a maniac. He would curse under his breath from time to time and Jungkook would flinch whenever he did so. It was scary. 

The men were so focused on their tasks that they did not even lift their heads when Jungkook stood up and walked out of the room. He was starving so he thought it would be a good idea to find the kitchen and get some food for all of them. He got lost a few times, but eventually found the kitchen. There was an old woman sitting at the kitchen table reading some kind of book. She immediately stood up when she saw Jungkook enter the room. 

" _ Imo _ , do you have any food I can steal?" He asked with a soft smile on his face. 

"Of course, child." She smiled back. "What would you like?" 

"Oh," Jungkook was taken aback by her readiness to prepare something he asked for. "Anything would be fine. No need for something special."

"I will make something nice and deliver it to the office, ok?" She was already grabbing ingredients from the refrigerator.

"Thank you." Jungkook said as he bowed. 

Just the thought of some fresh and delicious food put a smile on his face. Anything would be better than the ramyeon in Seokjin's hiding spot. He walked back to the office and the three men were still focused on their own assignments. Jungkook sat back down and looked around the room, observing the artwork Hoseok had in his office. It was a bit intense in some areas and sometimes it was just too colorful, but it almost screamed Hoseok. It looked like him. Someone who was serious enough to have artwork, but lively enough for it to be colorful and fun. The thought brought a smile to Jungkook's face. 

"Something funny?" Taehyung was looking at him. 

"I just like the artwork." Jungkook was still smiling as he looked around the room. "It's nice." 

"It's excessive." Taehyung scoffed, focusing back on his phone. "Too many colours." 

"If it was all black you wouldn't say that." Jungkook was slightly annoyed by the comment. 

"No." Taehyung was almost laughing. "But I like green and purple." 

"Green and purple?" Jungkook did not believe someone like him would like such bright colours.

"Dark green and deep purple." He said at last as he looked back at his phone. 

Jungkook wanted to laugh. He really did. Taehyung was joking with him and his face was peaceful again. It was as if everything that had happened before had been forgotten and they were now almost friendly with each other. It was weird to see how their interactions could shift so easily. It would turn from an argument into something calmer so easily. Jungkook turned his face from Taehyung as he heard a soft knock on the door. 

"The food!" He said in an excited tone. 

He stood up and went to open the door to grab the food that the nice  _ imo _ had made for them. As soon as the door was opened, Jungkook's mouth was agape. There was a feast set on a silver tray in front of him. The old lady's smile became even brighter when she saw Jungkook's face. She entered the room and set the dishes and silverware on the coffee table at the center of the chairs. Everyone was slightly lost at the sight, but Jungkook was almost jumping with happiness. 

The old lady bowed and exited the room, giving Jungkook one last honest smile as she closed the door. Everything smelled so good and fresh that he just wanted to attack the food but he just stood there respectfully salivating for the food. 

"I asked her to make some food for us." Jungkook was so happy about himself. 

"You did that?" Hoseok had a bit of a weird tone. 

"Yes." Jungkook was feeling a bit worried he had done something bad. "I thought you would want some." 

"Yes!" Hoseok was back to his excited and loud tone. "This was so thoughtful of you! Thank you, Jungkook." 

He smiled back as his body relaxed again. He looked at his brother and he could see a faint smile. That meant that he had approved. It was good whenever Seokjin would be happy with something Jungkook did, it meant a lot to him to have his approval. It did not matter if it came from a simple task such as getting food or doing an overly complicated task, he would always feel good about himself when Seokjin had that look of approval on his face. 

"Thank you." Taehyung said in a soft voice. 

Jungkook looked at him with a soft face. That small thank you was also something he enjoyed hearing. Taehyung was not an easy person and not someone who would say please and thank you on a daily basis. He would take what he wanted and that would be it, no questions asked. But hearing him say thank you for something so simple was a good thing. It was rare. And Jungkook liked seeing that humane side to him. It was the same side that would hold him when he needed him to. 

\--

The sky was now dark and all men were tired. Jungkook looked at his phone and it was well past 11pm. They had spent the whole day discussing their plans and the next moves now that the Yuto guy had become part of the dangerous game they were playing. Hoseok was yawning and so was Seokjin, but neither of them stopped their work for even a second. Jungkook had been helping them by planning together, but he was not as capable as the other three so most of the time he just sat back and watched. Jungkook decided to go out for a smoke.

"I will be right back." He said hoping someone would listen. 

Seokjin nodded and Hoseok made a faint humming sound. They probably did not hear what he said, but they agreed anyway. 

"I'll go with you." Taehyung stood up and looked down at Jungkook. 

"You?" Confusion in his tone.

"Just move." Taehyung rolled his eyes as he walked past the chair and headed for the door. 

Jungkook walked behind Taehyung, not sure why he would want to come along with him. He did not smoke and it was cold. Why would he even go with him? They walked quietly out of the house and stood in the garden. Jungkook took out his pack of smokes and lit a cigarette, still staring at Taehyung. 

"Why did you come?" Jungkook was confused.

"Because I wanted to say I was sorry." Taehyung was staring at the distance, not paying much attention to the younger man. 

"Sorry for what?" He got even more confused by what Taehyung had just said. 

"I was an asshole to you." He still did not look at Jungkook. 

"Oh."

"So I'm sorry, Jungkook."

"..." 

"You could at least be thankful." Taehyung did not seem pleased by the silence. 

"I am." Jungkook managed to say. "I just didn't expect it."

"Me neither." Taehyung was still unamused. "Don't expect more than this."

"This is enough." 

Taehyung finally looked back at him and Jungkook was surprised to see a faint smile form on his lips. It was not the usual malicious smile. It was soft and simple, almost awkward. Was this Kim Taehyung being a nice person? It was weird, but it was in a way that made Jungkook's heart a bit warmer. The pain had disappeared completely.


	21. KNIFE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Jungkook was almost finished with his cigarette when Taehyung received a call. His face was not as calm as before. He was troubled and Kook could see it. The elder did not even wait for the young man to finish his cigarette before he walked furiously back into the house, cursing under his breath. Something had happened and it was not nice. 

The young man followed Taehyung back inside and they went to the office. Hoseok and Seokjin were still talking on their phones when both men entered the room. They immediately looked at Taehyung and was as if they could tell something had happened just by the look on his face. Both men turned off their calls and looked at Taehyung expectantly. 

"Yuto's men are here." Taehyung announced. 

"This was expected." Seokjin said in a calm tone, but his face looked otherwise. 

"You will stay at my other house." Hoseok picked up his phone again. "It is safer."

Seokjin nodded and Jungkook followed suit, nodding as well. 

"Do you need me to take care of it?" Taehyung was staring at Hoseok, his face was dark. 

"This is still my city Taehyung-ssi." Hoseok hissed. "Stay with them."

Taehyung did not argue with Hoseok and just nodded. Jungkook knew what he meant by taking care of it and just the thought made him shiver. Things were not going to be easy, but he did not think they would get this complicated so fast. Hoseok whispered something in Seokjin's ear, making him roll his eyes but then he nodded. Hoseok left right after. 

"Let's go." Seokjin began to walk towards the door. Taehyung and Jungkook followed behind. 

They walked fast back to the car and Seokjin just ordered the car keys from Jungkook, who did not even argue. He gave his brother the keys and got in on the passenger side. This was not a moment for petty arguments, even though he did not like it when people drove his car. Jin started the car and drove off a bit too fast. 

"Taehyung." He called. "Do they know where we are?" 

"Not sure." Taehyung was serious. 

"Yuto won't try anything in Hoseok's territory." 

"I would not be so sure." Taehyung scoffed. 

"Why?" Jungkook finally joined the conversation. 

"Because Yuto is being backed up by both Yoongi and Namjoon." Taehyung was still with his angry tone and Jungkook could see him staring outside through the rearview mirror. 

"That means they won't kill Hoseok, but will kill us?" Jungkook managed to ask.

"No one would dare touch him, especially in his territory." Taehyung answered. "But it's different for me and your brother." 

"For you and Seokjin?" Jungkook felt confused. 

"Enough Taehyung." Seokjin hissed. "We will discuss this later." 

Jungkook felt confused as to why his brother basically told Taehyung to shut up, but he did not think it was the time to argue. The car roared as Jin sped through the streets to Hoseok's second house and it did not take them long to reach it. It was not as big as the first one, but it was definitely not a simple house. The main gate had two security guards that bowed the moment they saw Seokjin driving. The steel gate opened and they went on to park the car. 

As soon as they got inside, Jungkook looked around admiring the artwork Hoseok had around the house. It was not as colorful as the one in his main house, but it was still very nice to look at. Jungkook was so immersed in the decór that he did not see Taehyung pulling him aside until he was pushed against a wall while the other man held him by the shoulder, pinning him down. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Jungkook was startled.

"Silence." Taehyung hissed. "You will obey, understand?" 

Everytime Taehyung acted like this, Jungkook knew he did not stand a chance. He could try to fight the urge, but in the end he  _ wanted _ to obey. It was as if something clicked inside of him and everything changed. This was his dominant demeanor and Jungkook knew all too well that he could not ignore it. 

"Yes, sir." He answered. 

"Good." Taehyung had a sly smile on his lips. "These people will come for us eventually." 

Jungkook could only stare. 

"I don't have the time to explain everything to you, but you are important to them." 

"W-why?" Jungkook was scared. 

"I won't explain it now." Taehyung hissed. "You cannot let them take you, understand?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"I will protect you." Taehyung was almost whispering. "But if I'm not there..."

"Kill them."

"Kill them, baby." Taehyung had his malicious smile back on his face. 

Jungkook's heart was beating fast as he stared back at the man who was pinning him against the wall. He swallowed hard as he felt the hand on his shoulder slightly shift up to his neck. Jungkook was almost melting again, but the hand stopped as Taehyung smiled and backed away from him. The young man took a deep breath and as he was about to whine for more, he heard Seokjin calling his name from deep inside the house.  _ How the fuck does he do that? _

Jungkook straightened his clothes and went to see his brother, his body almost combusting with the heat. Seokjin was standing in front of a door with an impatient look on his face.

"Where were you?" His brother had an angry face. 

"Got lost." Jungkook cleared his throat. "What is it?"

"You will stay here." He pointed at the door. "My room is next door." 

"Fine." Jungkook looked around, but Taehyung was nowhere to be seen. "And Taehyung?"

Seokjin arched an eyebrow as if he wanted to say something nasty, but in the end he just sighed. 

"He will be keeping guard." Seokjin was almost spitting venom. "It's his job." 

Jungkook nodded, happy his brother did not make any unnecessary comment about Taehyung and headed inside the room. The sight almost made Jungkook laugh out loud. The room was fully decorated in dark green and deep purple tones. It was almost as if life was trying to make a joke. Kook sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around the room for a while. He was tired. 

There was a faint knock on the door and Kook stood up to see who it was. Seokjin was standing outside. 

"Yes?" Jungkook was not expecting his brother. 

"Take it." Jin extended his hand. A black velvet fabric was enveloping something. 

Jungkook grabbed the bundle and was shocked to feel what it was. He unwrapped it and saw the black and golden knife resting inside. Kook looked up at his brother with a confused look. 

"I hate it." Seokjin put his hands back in his pockets. "Take it." 

"Why?"

"Because I don't feel comfortable giving you a gun." Seokjin hissed and turned away to leave. 

Jungkook was still a bit shocked, looking at his brother walk away. Seokjin had just given him his father's knife. The same one Old Kim had hurt each of his sons with. The same knife he had used to hurt Taehyung. Jungkook did not know if he wanted to keep that knife or just throw it away so he would never see it again. He went back inside his room and dropped the knife on the bed, staring at it with mixed feelings. 

It was just a knife. Just something for him to protect himself with. Nothing more than an inanimate object. Why did it make him feel like that? Why did every single cell in his body want to destroy that thing? Jungkook grabbed the knife and sat on the bed as his fingers traced the contour of the birds engraved on it. It was a beautiful knife, but it was an awful object. A painful one. Jungkook yawned loudly and lied on the bed. The knife still in his hands. He took a last look at it before he put it under the pillow and closed his eyes. 

"Why are you afraid?" A female voice asked him

It was dark and Jungkook could barely see his surroundings. The storm outside seemed to be going strong, making him shiver at the sound. Jungkook hated storms. 

"Don't be afraid, child." The woman comforted him. 

"Who are you?" Jungkook was lost in the middle of the darkness.

A faint light suddenly lit up and he could see a female silhouette standing a few feet from him. An umbrella in her hand. 

"Are you afraid of the rain?" She asked.

"Yes." Jungkook felt he could trust her. 

"There is a storm coming, child." She sounded like she was crying. "Be safe." 

"Safe from what?" Jungkook tried to reach her, but even though he walked closer she was never within his reach. 

"Safe from harm." 

"Is someone trying to hurt me?" Jungkook began running towards the mysterious woman.

"They have always tried." She was definitely crying- her voice was hoarse. 

"Who tried?" Jungkook was screaming. "Who are they?" 

"Wake up, child." She seemed to be begging him. 

"What?" Jungkook was utterly confused.

"WAKE UP, MY CHILD!" She screamed at last. 

Jungkook opened his eyes instantly only to see a black figure inside his room. There was a man inside, staring at him. His face was covered by a black ski mask and he was now walking towards Jungkook, a knife in his right hand. Jungkook did not even think properly before he grabbed the knife under the pillow and jumped up at the man. 

This was clearly not someone inexperienced as he moved out of the way in a second, making Jungkook stumble forward and almost fall down. He managed to maintain his balance and turned to face the man again. Jungkook held his knife in his hand, calculating the timing so he could attack the man again. 

Before he could finish thinking, the man lunged forward making him fall to the ground and his knife slid away from his grasp. The man was now sitting on top of him pushing his own knife towards Jungkook, who was holding the man's fists to avoid being stabbed. He grabbed the man's hand and managed to pry it open, making him drop the knife. 

The man took the opportunity to try to choke Jungkook, who only laughed at the action. Someone who had endured so much choking in only a few months would not be bothered by someone trying to choke him to death. And Jungkook also knew how to control his own breathing to make sure he did not choke so easily. Instead of feeling desperate, he just laughed. The hoarse laughter made the man mad and he growled as he choked him harder. The laughter becoming more intense and hoarse. 

Jungkook used the destabilization he caused on the man to push him away from him and break free, grabbing his knife in the process. The man lunged at him again but this time Jungkook stabbed him in the stomach. The man stumbled backwards pressing down on the injury. Kook lunged at him, taking him down and stabbing him multiple times as he stood on top of him. 

Every time he stabbed the man, he would growl louder. The pool of blood becoming even bigger as he stabbed the lifeless corpse over and over again. His torso and neck were all perforated by Jungkook's frantic movements. The gushes of blood splattering all over his face and body as he laughed at the sight. Every time he stabbed the corpse he would laugh even louder. At some point he began to see the dead man's guts coming out, making him smile even brighter.  _ More _ . He wanted to be bathed in blood. Wanted to bask in the blood pool around him. He wanted to drain that man of his blood and use it all for himself. 

He did not stop until someone pulled him away from the dead body. He fought against the person, wanting to go back and stab him more. Make him suffer more, even though he was already dead. He was fighting against that stupid person that wanted him to stop having fun.  _ LET ME GO _ . Jungkook wanted more.  _ Needed _ more. There was still blood inside that man and it was  _ his _ ! He had to get it out!

"JUNGKOOK!" Someone screamed in his ear. "STOP!" 

He broke free from the grasp and looked at the person trying to hold him. Seokjin was staring at him, horror in his face. They were both sitting on the ground looking at each other. Jungkook finally dropped the knife and stared at his hands. He was trembling but did not feel any pain in his chest. He did not feel as if he was suffocating without air. He felt nothing. He felt numb. Jungkook could only look at his bloody hands. He could not feel  _ anything _ . There was only the blood. 

A hand ran its fingers through his hair, making him shift his gaze. Taehyung was kneeling in front of him. 

"Can you breathe, baby?" He asked softly. 

"Yes." Jungkook answered in a strange tone. 

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

The smell. Jungkook inhaled deeply trying to calm his own thoughts, but there was nothing. There was no sweetness. No metallic smell. There was no Taehyung. What happened? There wasn't even the weird sweet scent he would smell whenever he dealt with death. Jungkook's mind was exploding. He could not feel pain, nor sadness. He did not smell Taehyung's scent nor the smell of death. Jungkook could not feel anything. It was as if he was dead.  _ Was he? _

"Can you..." Taehyung was interrupted. 

"Taehyung." Jungkook's voice was unrecognizable. "I can't feel anything." 

"What do you mean?" Taehyung's tone was alarming. He was scared and Jungkook knew it. 

"There is nothing." He felt his body weigh down as he spoke those words. 

"I'm here, Jungkook." Taehyung's tone was even more alarming and Jungkook knew this was bad, yet he could not feel it. "You are safe." 

"I can't." Jungkook leaned closer, resting his head on Taehyung's shoulder. "Smell you."

Jungkook could feel Taehyung tense up as he said those words. This made him scared and he just wanted to go back to normal. He just wanted to smell that awful scent again. Drown in it. Yet Taehyung smelled like nothing. Not even like perfume. 

"Seokjin, grab my bag." Taehyung growled. "Now." 

His brother did not argue and left the room. Taehyung helped Jungkook to stand up and supported him as they walked towards the bathroom. He sat Jungkook down under the shower and let the cold water run. Jungkook tried to break free but Taehyung pinned him down and hugged him under the cold water, both of them getting soaked. 

"Cry." Taehyung ordered. "Scream. Do something!"

"I can't." Jungkook tried his best, but he really could not do anything. 

The bathroom door opened and Seokjin came inside. He stared at them and sighed. 

"Stay with him." Taehyung let go and stood up, exiting the bathroom. 

Seokjin sat down beside Jungkook, the cold water making him shiver instantly. He grabbed Jungkook's hand and checked his pulse, cursing under his breath as soon as he felt it. The water had become red from all the blood coming off Jungkook's clothes. 

" _ Hyung _ ." Jungkook whispered. 

"I'm here." Seokjin put his hand on Jungkook's thigh. 

"Why did it feel good to stab him?" 

"Because you wanted to." Seokjin sighed as he shivered lightly. 

"I did." Jungkook was slightly confused. "Is this bad?" 

"No, Jungkook." Jin leaned closer. "It's normal for us." 

"He wasn't the first person I killed." He said lightly, turning to rest his head on his brother's shoulder. "But it never felt this good." 

Seokjin did not answer and Jungkook just stayed in that position for a long time. Both of them shivering under the cold water. A long time went by before Taehyung was back in the bathroom with them. Seokjin stood up as soon as he saw the other man, grabbing a towel and exiting the bathroom. Jungkook could see that his brother whispered something to Taehyung but he couldn't hear because of the noise of the water falling on his head. 

Taehyung walked towards him and grabbed a sponge, pumping soap onto it. 

"I'm going to take off your clothes, baby." Taehyung said in a soft tone. "I'm going to clean you, okay?" 

Jungkook nodded and helped Taehyung remove his clothes. First his shirt and then his pants and socks. Jungkook sat naked in the shower, shivering a bit. The cold water was not good, but it was better than nothing. Taehyung leaned closer, rubbing his face lightly. Making sure the blood was gone. Jungkook closed his eyes, so he could only feel the sponge travel across his body. His arms and legs being washed and lastly his hands. It felt good and Jungkook was finally able to feel something. He was calmer now and he felt something good wash over him. But there was still no scent. This was worrisome. 

The water stopped flowing and Jungkook opened his eyes again. Taehyung was standing in front of him with a towel in his hand. The young man stood up and walked towards the towel, drying himself up. 

"Flowers?" Taehyung asked.

Jungkook shook his head as he dried his arms and legs. 

"Blood?" The tone was filled with worry, even though his face looked calm. 

Jungkook shook his head again as he dried his dripping hair. He exited the bathroom and began to walk towards his bag. There was no more body and most of the blood was gone, but he could still see the stain of blood on the carpet. Jungkook stared at it for a while and then sighed as he got to his bag, picking out a fresh set of clothes. It was just a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, so he would not have much trouble putting them on. The towel fell to the floor as he had his back to Taehyung, letting him see his tattoo. Jungkook did not remember telling him about it or if he had seen it that day at the sauna, but he was now getting the full picture. He then turned to Taehyung.

"You are not sleeping here." He grabbed Jungkook's wrist and led him out of the bedroom. 

He could only follow without saying a word. What would he say? There was nothing to be said in a moment like this. Jungkook still felt numb from the whole ordeal and he could not produce many sounds or do anything other than to follow the man holding his wrist. They arrived in another room and Taehyung pulled Jungkook inside. Pushing him onto the bed. 

"Sit." He ordered. 

Jungkook nodded and sat there with his legs crossed as he looked down at Taehyung, who was sitting on the floor in front of him.

"I can't smell you." Jungkook's tone was extremely sad and tired. "I don't know why."

"You're in shock." 

"He was not the first person I killed." Jungkook did not feel any pain as he said that. 

"Jungkook," Taehyung sighed. "You didn't just kill him, you butchered him to a point that there was no way to keep his guts inside of him."

"I wanted to hurt him."

"Why?" Taehyung's tone was soft again. 

"Because I could." Jungkook said the same thing Taehyung did when he talked about Jackson's death. "Because I couldn't see his face." 

"You imagined he was someone else?" Taehyung shifted in his seat as if he was waiting for an uncomfortable answer. "You imagined that he was..."

_ Jackson. _

"No, he just wasn't anyone." Jungkook slumped to the floor, getting closer to Taehyung. "I could kill him because he was a nobody. Because no one would miss him." 

"Jungkook..." Taehyung began to speak but was interrupted by Jungkook. 

"It's fucked up, I know." He sighed. 

"It's not." Taehyung shifted again. "It's too much like me." 

Something clicked. Something  _ definitely _ clicked at that moment. Jungkook could see it and understand it. He understood why Taehyung pushed him away every chance he got, why he would rather hurt the young man than let him close. He was afraid Jungkook would become like him. He was afraid he would rub off on him. Jungkook laughed and it felt good. He was feeling something.  _ Finally _ .

"What?" Taehyung was confused by his reaction. 

"You are afraid." Jungkook continued laughing. "You feel fear." 

"Jungkook..." Taehyung was interrupted again. 

"You're afraid." He crawled closer to Taehyung, a smile on his face. "I will become like you."

They were awfully close and Taehyung had a very grim look on his face, he looked as if he was unsure of Jungkook's whole attitude towards him. 

"Kim Taehyung." Jungkook said at last. "You care about me." 

Taehyung swallowed hard and clicked his tongue. 

"Will I have to hit you to make you go back to normal?"

"Touch me." Jungkook was kneeling in front of him, begging for his touch. 

"What?" Taehyung was clearly confused. 

"If you don't touch me, I will touch you." Jungkook was serious. 

"Don't push your luck, Jungkook." Taehyung hissed.

Jungkook grabbed Taehyung's hand and placed it on his neck, making him grab it. As soon as he felt his hand gently grab his neck, he dropped his own hand and let it slump to his side, closing his eyes as he did. And he felt it.  _ Finally _ . The rush. The heat. The feeling that only Taehyung could ever make him feel. It all came back to him. The faint smell of flowers and the metallic scent he gave off. The softness of his hand, making him always wish for more. It was just  _ so _ good. It was real. 

He could hear the other man’s breathing hitch up a notch. Jungkook opened his eyes and stared back at the man who was gently holding his neck. Taehyung had a very confused look on his face that made Jungkook smile. It was unlike him to not be aware of everything around him. When Jungkook made his move, Taehyung was caught off guard. But he still did what Jungkook wanted him to do,  _ touch him _ . 

"Why?" Taehyung asked him with confusion in his tone. 

"Because I needed it." Jungkook tilted his head backwards and inhaled deeply, the sweetness making him want to die. But he would die happily. 

"Flowers?" Taehyung asked. 

"Oh, yes." Jungkook smiled. "Disgusting.

"Blood?" Taehyung had some sort of sarcasm in his tone. 

"Back too." Jungkook was smiling even brighter. "Fucking gross." 

"Do you feel like yourself?" 

"No," Kook was still smiling. "But I will, eventually." 

Taehyung's grasp became a bit tighter and Jungkook struggled not to moan at the touch. He tilted his head forward and stared at the man. His eyes were dark and his lips were parted as he panted. This was bad, but this was desire. Jungkook knew it. But in the same way Taehyung would not force him when he said no, he would not make him go down that road just because Jungkook was in the  _ mood _ . The respect they had created for each other was more important than some meaningless sex interaction in a moment Jungkook was still fragile. 

"You can let go if you want to." Jungkook said in a soft tone and Taehyung let go immediately. 

"You don't want it?" Taehyung sounded even more confused than before. 

"I do." He tilted his head sideways. "But you don't."

"Jungkook..." Taehyung tried to say something but stopped mid sentence. 

"I get it." Jungkook was not mad nor sad at the other man. "You don't have to force yourself just because I want it. I know how much you hate touching and shit." 

"I have no problem touching you." Taehyung had his malicious smile back on his face. "I just don't want you to get the wrong idea about me."

"That we will have sex and afterwards you will hold and cuddle me?" Jungkook laughed lightly. 

"That's not who I am." Taehyung had a smile on his face, but Jungkook could hear the trouble in his tone. 

It hurt to hear that, it really did. Jungkook was not some hopeless romantic, but he did fall for Taehyung at some point. So this made him desire that man and want to be with him. Hear him say that it was unlike him to do such things pained Jungkook. But there was nothing he could do about it. He could not force Taehyung to love him back or even to do the things he could not do. Jungkook could not touch him. He could not hug the man without making him feel uncomfortable or in pain, whichever it was. But he respected Taehyung enough to not force him. 

"I know." Jungkook's voice faltered a bit. "And I'm okay with that." 

"I really hate this." The smile had disappeared. 

Taehyung was pinching the bridge of his nose, looking as if he was fighting against his own thoughts. 

"What?" Jungkook was a bit confused.

"All this!" Taehyung seemed a bit mad, but not in a scary way. "You!" 

"You hate me?" Jungkook felt offended. 

"Shouldn't I?" Taehyung was rubbing his face with his hands. 

"If you want to hate me, go ahead." Jungkook backed away from Taehyung, wiggling until he was leaning against the bed. "I won't fucking stop you." 

"You are  _ such _ a child!" Taehyung's tone was back to its normal seriousness.

" _ I'm _ a fucking child?" Jungkook was getting mad too. "At least I can actually verbalize my feelings."

Taehyung hissed at Jungkook, his eyes burning with fire. This was not good and Jungkook could feel him getting even angrier. This would probably turn into some physical fight if they did not stop. But Jungkook didn't really want to stop. He wanted to push Taehyung's buttons, because he was angry.  _ Such a bad idea _ . 

"You are really starting to get on my nerves." Taehyung was growling. 

"What the fuck is  _ wrong _ with you?" Jungkook was getting angrier. "I fucking tell you that I am okay with you being the way you are and you turn this into some hate show against me?"

Taehyung did not answer, he was only staring at Jungkook with murderous eyes. 

"I should be the one that fucking hates you." He got up and sat back on the bed, looking down at Taehyung."All I do is try to be nice to you and you keep on acting like an asshole." 

"I  _ am _ an asshole." Taehyung gritted his teeth. 

"No, you  _ dick _ ." Jungkook crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You just act like one so I'll back away. But I won't." 

"Why?" Taehyung was staring at Jungkook and he could feel the room become colder. 

"Because I fucking like you Kim Taehyung!" Jungkook couldn't even breathe. "Is that so hard for you to understand?" 

The air left his lungs never to come back and Jungkook could feel that he had made a big mistake. He was breathless and red as a  _ fucking _ tomato. Had he just confessed to a murderous psychopath that one minute ago said he hated him? How many shades of fucked up was this? And the worst part was that 50% of him expected the other man to just turn into a normal human being and say that he liked him back.  _ Stupid. _

"And then what?" Taehyung was still spitting fire. "Am I supposed to like you back?"

_ Can someone say I told you so to themself? _

"You do what the fuck you want to do." Jungkook was exasperated, lying on the bed. "I really had enough of you for one day." 

Taehyung was silent, which made Jungkook a bit afraid of what he might do. A minute later the man stood up and strode to the opposite side of the bed. Putting pillows in the middle of the bed, almost as if he was creating a barrier. Jungkook turned to his side and stared at the other man as he built his little Not So Great Wall of China. 

"What are you doing?" Jungkook could not hold back any longer. 

"I do not want you to touch me in your sleep." Taehyung did not bother to look at him.

"You're sleeping here?"Jungkook was shocked. "In my bed?"

"This is  _ my _ bed." Taehyung finished the small barrier and got under the covers. "And this is  _ my _ room. You are a guest."

"We are sleeping in the same bed?" Jungkook was almost having a new panic attack. 


	22. ROYALTY

When Jungkook opened his eyes, he was instantly startled. The last thing he remembered was staring at the ceiling while he tried not to freak out about sleeping in the same bed as Taehyung. But now he realized he had fallen asleep at some point. Jungkook lifted his head and looked to the other side of the pillow barrier, it was empty. Taehyung was not in bed and as Jungkook looked around, he was not in the room either. This was probably a relief, but he kind of wanted to have seen how Taehyung slept. 

Kook stood up from the warm bed and walked out of the door. He could hear faint voices coming from within the house, so he assumed Seokjin and Taehyung were discussing last night's events. He walked around a bit and found the two men alongside Hoseok in the living room. They all stopped talking the moment they saw Jungkook. 

"Am I interrupting?" Jungkook said as he walked past the men and sat on the couch beside them. 

"Are you okay, Jungkook?" Hoseok asked in a worried tone. 

"Much better." Jungkook faked a smile. "No need to worry." 

"Did he say anything to you?" Seokjin inquired. 

"Who?" Jungkook tilted his head. "The dead guy?" 

"Yes." Seokjin sighed "Did he?" 

"No." Jungkook had a half smile. "He just tried to kill me."

Up until this point, Kook had not looked at Taehyung. Not because he was angry or something, but because he really did not even see the man. Taehyung was awfully quiet and when Jungkook looked at him, he could see why. The man had deep black and blue circles under his eyes and he looked miserable. Taehyung had not slept. Jungkook was feeling guilty, because he passed out and relaxed while the other man just stayed up all night. 

"Taehyung," Hoseok shifted his attention to the younger man. "Did he have anything different on him?" 

"Nothing special." Taehyung's voice was heavy and annoyed. "No tattoos or anything that would say where he was from."

"This is extremely annoying." Hoseok gritted his teeth. "So disrespectful." 

"Do you want me to come with you?" Seokjin asked Hoseok. 

"Yes." Hoseok sighed.

Both men stood up and Hoseok turned to Jungkook with an honest smile on his lips. 

"I'm sorry that something happened to you while you were my guest." He smiled brighter. "I hope this doesn't make you not want to visit anymore." 

He laughed, but Jungkook could see he was a little annoyed by something. Probably by the fact someone had done something to Kook in his territory and while he was there. This was disrespectful, but he did not expect criminals to be cordial when it came to killing targets. 

"It's okay." Jungkook smiled back at him. "I will visit again." 

The answer made Hoseok's smile a bit bigger, but there was still annoyance on his face. Both men bowed slightly and left the room, heading outside. Jungkook was now staring at Taehyung who looked exhausted. He still did not feel like himself, so there was no pain or anything but he could sense a complicated feeling inside of him. He was worried. 

"Are you okay?" Jungkook asked lightly, making Taehyung slowly turn his head towards him. 

"Fine." He did not growl, but it was close to it. 

"You can sleep if you want to." Jungkook was trying to maintain his calmness.

Taehyung did not answer, but his face was not the best. He was probably angry and tired, and this was a combination that would make any human nasty. 

"Taehyung, you look like shit." Jungkook said as he sighed loudly. "You're useless if you can't focus." 

"Fine." Taehyung growled as he stood up and headed deeper inside the house towards his bedroom. 

Jungkook could only stare as the man walked away from him, a deep sigh forming in his lips. Last night had been a mess. He had killed someone. Actually, he had  _ butchered _ a person. Then he was in shock and in the end he just confessed his feelings to Taehyung.  _ Fuck _ . It was probably one of the worst nights of his life. Definitely a bad night. 

\--

The room was beginning to get darker as Jungkook stood up to turn on the lights. He had spent most of the day lying around and playing games, trying to keep his mind busy. He headed back to the couch and as he lied down, he heard a door slam shut. Seokjin was probably back. Jungkook sat down and waited for the person to show up in the living room. 

Indeed Seokjin was back and he looked tired. His face was not bad, but you could see he was not in a happy mood. 

"Where's Taehyung?" Seokjin looked around, searching for the other man. 

"I told him to sleep a bit." Jungkook smiled lightly. "He's useless if he's tired." 

"Are you okay?" Seokjin seemed genuinely worried about his brother. 

"Yes, I'm fine." Jungkook smiled a bit brighter. "But you look like shit." 

"Manners." Seokjin arched his eyebrow as he sat in the green armchair beside the couch.

"You should rest up a bit." Jungkook picked up two cigarettes from his pack of smokes and offered one to his brother, who took it without hesitation. 

"I will." Seokjin puffed on the cigarette. "When Taehyung wakes up." 

"I am up." A deep voice sounded at the end of the room, making both men stare at him. 

Jungkook was happy to see that his face looked much better. The dark circles were still there, but not as deep and blue as before. He looked like he had indeed rested a bit. A small smile formed on Jungkook's lips and he shook his head to make it go away. Taehyung was looking at both of them with disgust on his face. Probably because of the cigarette smell in the house. 

"Any news?" Seokjin asked. 

"Nothing." Taehyung was already in the room, but he did not sit. 

"Tell me when something comes up." Seokjin put out his cigarette and walked out of the room, not bothering to excuse himself. 

Taehyung moved over and sat in the green armchair Seokjin had been sitting and sighed as he sat down. His face contorted a bit and Jungkook tried to blow the smoke away from him. 

"Did you rest?" Jungkook asked in a soft tone. 

"Yes." Taehyung answered but his tone was not nice. 

"Are you mad at me?" Jungkook asked, even though he did not want to hear the answer. 

Taehyung was probably going to say yes and this would hurt Jungkook's feelings again. Last night had already been a bit intense and his feelings were a bit crushed by Taehyung's comments towards him. Hate was a very deep and hurtful word, and it was the one he used to describe what he felt towards Jungkook. 

"No." Taehyung said in a lighter tone, making Jungkook a bit startled. 

Jungkook just put out his cigarette as he struggled to look at Taehyung.

"I will ignore what you said last night." Taehyung did not look at Jungkook as he spoke the words. 

"What?" Jungkook was startled again. 

"You were in shock and not thinking straight." Taehyung sighed. "You were being thoughtless." 

"I wasn't." Jungkook was mad as he stood up. "I was being honest, you  _ dick _ ."

The young man left the room and Taehyung behind. He had been right all along, Taehyung would hurt him again and so he did. There was no point in fighting against it, so he could only go away. Stay away from the toxicity. If there was a chance to hurt him, Taehyung would take it and make him suffer. The pain in his chest was not there, but that did not mean he was not feeling sad about it. 

\--

Jungkook was driving again. The three men were back in the car and were now heading for Daegu. Hoseok had stayed back in Gwangju so he could deal with the problem created by the man that had tried to kill Jungkook. It was not a simple thing and now he was angry that someone had tried something in his territory. Jungkook did not know why, but everyone kept telling him that no one would ever try anything in Hoseok's territory. There was probably a dark story to that, but he did not feel like asking anyone. 

Seokjin had been busy making arrangements for their trip and dealing with the aftermath of the attack alongside Hoseok. Taehyung had distanced himself. Him and Jungkook were not talking to each other and their interactions had been reduced to formalities. It was bad and he knew it. Ever since they began their little exchange, there was never a day in which they would not talk for a few moments and now they did not say anything to one another. Jungkook did not even look at the rearview mirror, afraid he would meet Taehyung's gaze and things would get nastier. 

"There are things you should know before we arrive in Daegu." Seokjin sounded annoyed.

"Like?" Jungkook was a bit curious after that sentence.

"Be careful what you say." Seokjin looked at Jungkook. "Kang Seulgi has a short temper." 

"I am aware of that." Jungkook could not hide the contempt in his voice as he talked about that woman. 

"Bae Joo Hyun and Kang Seulgi are extremely close." Seokjin scoffed. "Do not read too much into it."

"They are complicated." Jungkook replied calmly. "I'm aware." 

There was a faint hiss in the back seat and Jungkook did not have to look to know that Taehyung was annoyed by what he had said. 

"Good." Seokjin had a faint smile on his lips. 

Jungkook knew exactly where his brother was going. He knew those women and knew exactly how they would act towards them, especially if they sniffed that him and Taehyung had something more than a partnership. Seulgi had always shown everyone her utter contempt towards someone like Jimin. Even though she had some sort of relationship with the  _ Yowang _ of Daegu, Seulgi made homophobic remarks whenever she could and Seokjin was trying to make Jungkook understand he could not give her any reason to do so with him and Taehyung. 

"You want me to not do anything that might make them think that me and Taehyung are anything more than working partners." Jungkook said as he looked down the road.

Seokjin coughed twice at his remark, almost like he had choked on it.

"Jungkook!" Taehyung growled loudly. 

"What?" He looked in the rearview mirror. "Did I say something wrong?" 

"Stop it." Taehyung was growling even deeper. 

"Or what?" Jungkook was just pushing every single limit, but he wasn't doing so because he just wanted to piss Taehyung off. He was actually just trying to feel something. "Are you going to kill me?" 

"You are  _ really _ pushing it too far." Taehyung's voice was even deeper and even Seokjin looked a bit taken aback by it. 

"Jungkook." Seokjin intervened. "Stop it." 

"Oh." Jungkook was sarcastic. "So you are on his side now? Good to know."

There was no more conversation after that. Taehyung was pissed, Jungkook was mad and Seokjin was stuck in the middle of that awkward situation. Jungkook did feel bad for putting his brother in that position, but the damage had already been done and all there was left was to deal with the shitty situation they had gotten themselves in. 

Just outside Daegu, Seokjin instructed Jungkook to take another route. They followed down a unpaved road and arrived at a clearing. There were two black vans waiting for them. Kang Seulgi was there, looking menacing as always. Jungkook parked his car and in a few moments they were out and walking towards the woman. 

"Seokjin-ssi," She smiled. "Long time no see. Thought you were dead." 

"I'm not." He answered dryly. 

"Jungkook-ssi." She turned her attention to him. "Good to see you again."

"Same." Jungkook faked a smile as he stared at the woman. 

"Kim Taehyung." Seulgi looked at him up and down. "Always the snake." 

"Kang Seulgi." Taehyung answered, his tone drowned in sarcasm. "Always a pleasure to see you." 

"Enough with the pleasantries." Seokjin was annoyed. "Can we go?"

Seulgi bowed and pointed at the black van she was standing in front of. The four of them entered the van and the utter silence was even worse than the one they had experienced previously in Jungkook's car. But this time he could not complain. He was not in his territory nor were they safe. 

The van rode for a long time before it finally stopped again. They all stepped out and Jungkook could see a very nice traditional house that sat in the middle of a garden. The grass was burned due to the cold of winter, but it was as nice as the garden in Hoseok's house. They were directed inside and into a big room that was completely adorned with traditional paintings and furniture. It was extremely beautiful. There was a woman sitting in a wooden chair.  _ Yowang _ .

"Seokjin-ssi." She spoke in a soft tone. 

His brother bowed respectfully, but did not answer. 

"Jeon Jungkook." She smiled softly at him. 

Jungkook bowed down to the woman and tried to maintain a faint smile in his lips. 

"You." Her tone was a bit dry as she stared at Taehyung. 

" _ Yowang _ ." Taehyung bowed to her, respectfully. 

"The only reason I allowed you in this house is because Seokjin-ssi and Hoseok-ssi vouched for you." Bae Joo was serious again and her tone carried a warning. "I will not hesitate to kill you Kim Taehyung."

"I have no intention to disrespect you,  _ Yowang _ ." Taehyung spoke calmly. 

"You are not that insane." Seulgi said with sarcasm in her voice, venom dripping from her lips. 

Taehyung smiled at her as if agreeing with what she had just said. 

"Hoseok-ssi informed me of the situation." Bae Joo was staring at Seokjin with a stern face. "You know what I think about Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon."

"I do." Seokjin answered. 

"My support comes at a cost." 

"I am aware." Seokjin was still calm. 

"And you will give me what I am asking for." She was smiling. 

"I need you to be specific." 

"It is simple, Seokjin-ssi." Her smile was soft and gentle. "Apart from Daegu, you will grant me free access." 

"In Busan?" 

"And Seoul." She tilted her head. 

"You..." Seokjin stopped mid sentence. 

"What about me?" Her tone was still extremely soft. 

"That is a bit too much, Bae Joo." Seokjin was a bit annoyed at this point and Jungkook could see it. 

"You look like you do not need our support." Seulgi said. "You can leave whenever you like, Seokjin-ssi."

"I will give you controlled access in Busan, but Seoul is up to him." Seokjin sounded defeated. 

"You will serve as a bridge for me."  _ Yowang _ smiled at him again. "Make sure he says yes."

Seokjin bowed again, his face was calm but Jungkook could see he was angry at whatever Bae Joo had demanded from him. Kook was sure she was referring to Junmyeon when she talked about Seoul. This would be tricky even for someone like Seokjin. 

"Is there anything else?" Seokjin was back to his calm and constricted tone. 

"Yes." Seulgi answered again. 

"Do tell me." Seokjin was smiling at her. "I will try my best to make it happen." 

"I want what Jackson told you, Kim Taehyung." Seulgi had turned to Taehyung and what she said made him hiss. 

"What exactly?" Taehyung had a sour face. 

"The star." 

_ Star? Namjoon's star pendant? _

"I cannot talk about that." Taehyung glanced at Seokjin as if he was warning the other man. 

"We can discuss this in the near future." Seokjin said with a faint smile. "Junmyeon-ssi has the star at the moment." 

"Why is that?" Seulgi was still looking at Taehyung, killing intent in her eyes. 

"Because it was an agreement." Taehyung smiled at her. "Just like the one we are making right now." 

Seulgi hissed but did not say anything else. Bae Joo still had her soft smile on her face as she stared at the other woman, it was a deep gaze. It did not scream love or anything of the kind, but it was some kind of admiration that Jungkook had only seen a few times in his life. Jealousy took over his body as he looked at Taehyung for a second. The feeling was pathetic and he knew it. Still whenever it came to Taehyung and Jungkook's feelings towards him, it was always ridiculous and intense. 

Bae Joo dismissed Taehyung, Jungkook and Seulgi. She would talk privately to Seokjin about their agreement and Jungkook did not waste time to leave the house to smoke. His addiction had been a bit too intense in the past days, but he knew it was because it gave him the possibility of being alone. Taehyung hated cigarettes, so he would not come near whenever Jungkook was smoking and after the whole argument in the car, it was a good thing. 

"May I ask for one?" Seulgi's voice was sweet, but always extremely dangerous.

"Of course." Jungkook forced a smile on his face as he handed the cigarette to the woman. 

"You are lost, aren't you?" She had a smile on her face, but Jungkook did not trust it.

"Lost?"

"In this world." She blew the smoke in his face. "You seem too..."

"Too…?" Jungkook was a bit angry at her remark.

"Unfamiliar." 

Jungkook only puffed on the cigarette again, almost choking on the smoke. 

"I feel bad for you, you know?" Seulgi wasn't looking at him. "This is a shit show." 

"I'm not into the pity agenda." 

"I don't pity you." She laughed. "You are not that pathetic." 

"Thank you for your kind comments." Jungkook was obviously being sarcastic. 

"Listen," She puffed and exhaled the smoke again. "I'm not going to tell you this is a glamorous world with a lot of fun and drugs. It's not. It's just one level above hell." 

"Never thought it was." Jungkook was being honest. 

"People like me get dragged into this and we do our best to survive." She rolled her eyes. "Same goes for someone like Kim Taehyung. We are only alive for so long because we lowered ourselves to the point where we will do anything to survive."

"Can I ask you how you got pulled into this?" Jungkook was honestly curious.

Seulgi hummed. 

"It's a funny story." She smiled. "At least for the others." 

Jungkook hummed. 

"Prostitution is one of the pillars of Daegu." She looked at Jungkook with an aggressive look. "There are a lot of brothels and most of them are owned by Min Yoongi." 

"He forced you?" Jungkook was taken aback by her revelation.

"No one can force me to do anything." She laughed again. "But hopelessness can." 

"..."

"I needed the money and my family was in need."

"So you..." Jungkook did not dare to continue. 

"I sold my soul, honey." She extended her hand again, asking for a cigarette. Jungkook gave it to her and lit it. 

"Bae Joo Hyun saved you?"

"You can say that." Seulgi hit the filter making the ash fall to the ground. "She was nice to me and I decided to follow her."

"Just like that?" Jungkook was a bit too mesmerized by the story.

"She meant survival, so I followed the path that would let me live longer." 

"Why are you telling me this?" Jungkook was confused. 

"Because I feel you are a nice kid that just got dragged into a world where you can't survive."

"I can't?" He was a bit angry at her remark. 

"We'll talk again in a few weeks." She put out the cigarette with the tip of her shoe. "If you're still alive, I'll take it back."

Seulgi left and Jungkook could only stare at her. She had just told a story that would make any person feel bad for her, but still she did not make it sound as if it was the worst thing that had happened in her life. There were probably worse things. Things she had done. And those stories would haunt her more than having entered this world through prostitution. 

Jungkook walked back to the house and as he entered he bumped into Seokjin. His brother had a gloomy face and he was probably tired from the talk he had had with Yowang.

"Where were you?" Seokjin asked. 

"Out." Jungkook straightened his clothes. "Smoking."

" _ Yowang _ has invited us to have a few drinks with her." Seokjin eyed him with warning. "Do not embarrass me or yourself." 

Seokjin turned around and Jungkook just followed him into another room. There was a small table in the middle and a few cushions distributed around it. Bae Joo and Seulgi were already sitting side by side around the small table and Taehyung sat beside them, not bothering to look at who had arrived.

"Seokjin-ssi, Jungkook-ssi."  _ Yowang _ pointed at the cushions. "Please join us."

Both men sat down and Seulgi poured the cream colored liquid into the small golden pans in front of them.  _ Makgeolli. _ She had a sweet smile as she poured the drink that changed into a disgusted face as she poured it into Taehyung's cup. His smile did not falter. 

"This is locally made." Seulgi pointed at the cups. "Please, enjoy." 

Jungkook took a sip and he could tell the drink was good but very alcoholic. He would have to pay attention to how much he drank in order not to get completely drunk and say or do something he was not supposed to. 

They were all drinking and talking about simple matters. If a person was to enter the room he or she would think this was an ordinary gathering of ordinary people. It would never cross their mind that the people at this table were assassins and drug lords. After a while, the sight was only funny, but in a dark way. 

After a while, people began to act a bit drunk. Jungkook had stopped drinking after the first cup, but everyone else had continued to enjoy the fermented rice drink. 

"Jungkook-ssi." Seulgi called him. "What was it like working with Jackson Wang?"

He did not want to talk about such a subject, but only he and Taehyung knew what had happened to him while he had worked for that man. He could not tell her what it had been like. How much pain he had endured and in the end he…

"Talking about the dead brings bad luck, Kang Seulgi." Taehyung answered her. 

He was defending Jungkook and he knew it. 

"And how did he die, Taehyung-ssi?" Seokjin was the one asking this time. 

"Do you want specific details?" Taehyung had his murderous smile on his lips. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

"We all have our share of blood in our hands, Taehyung." Seokjin was impatient.

"I just shot him in the head." Taehyung said as he took a sip of the fermented wine.

Everyone went silent. 

"You didn't..." Seulgi was shocked. "You didn't torture him?" 

"No." 

"Why?" Seokjin was absolutely stunned. 

"Because it would be a waste of time." Taehyung was laughing. 

"I don't believe you." Jungkook said at last.

"Why, Jungkook-ssi?" Taehyung looked at him with his malicious smile on his lips. This was a low blow and Jungkook knew it. He was doing it on purpose. 

"Because you could make him suffer." Jungkook adjusted his posture. "You could inflict on him the pain he made everyone else suffer. You included." 

Seokjin was ready to step between the two, but Taehyung only laughed. His hand rested on Jungkook's thigh. The shock traveled through his body and he had to fight the urge to not throw Taehyung on the ground and kiss him badly. He truly wanted to do so. 

"You are probably right." Taehyung tightened the grip, almost making Jungkook groan. "I could've abused him anyway I wanted." 

The words caught Jungkook off guard and he cleared his throat. His gaze was fixated on Taehyung. 

"But why a shot in the head?" Seulgi cut in. 

"Because I like to make people kneel in front of me." He took another sip. "All dirty and hopeless."

_ Oh god. _


	23. ROYALTY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Was this drunk Taehyung flirting? Every word in that sentence referred to the night in the sauna. The one when he made Jungkook kneel and choked him with his cock. Jungkook was not drunk and did not want to be, but he could see Taehyung was not holding back and this was probably because he was a bit tipsy. Jungkook knew he should control himself, so he adjusted his posture and removed the hand from his thigh. As he did, he caught Seokjin's gaze and his brother had a nasty face. He knew what had happened and Jungkook was silently being reprimanded.

"Too simple." Seulgi broke the silence. "You at least cut him."

"No." Taehyung poured everyone another cup. "I did not." 

"You once murdered one of my men inside one of my clubs and hung him up by his intestines." _ Yowang _ finally spoke. "Am I supposed to believe you did nothing to a man like that?" 

"I have told the truth." He laughed. "It is up to you to believe it or not." 

"Fine." Seulgi intervened. "Let's say I believe you."

Taehyung hummed. 

"If you felt like it." She sipped on the creamy liquid. "What would you do to him?" 

"You want me to teach you?" Taehyung was being utterly sarcastic. 

Seulgi shifted in her seat and a second later produced a small knife in her hand. The sight made Taehyung smile. She stared at him for a second and then she snapped her fingers. The doors to the room opened and a young man was thrown inside. The smile on Taehyung's face disappeared. The young man had bruises all over his face and he was crying as he curled up on the floor sobbing. 

Seulgi looked at Bae Joo and both women smiled and shifted their gaze to the young boy who was lying on the floor. Seokjin sighed and did not bother to look at him, staring at Jungkook. 

"So, Taehyung-ssi." Seulgi stood and walked towards the boy. "We have a volunteer."

"I see." His face was grim and his eyes went dark. 

Jungkook felt his heart tighten. 

"Puh-please." The boy sobbed. "I didn't do anything." 

Seulgi kneeled beside the boy. 

"Don't cry, honey." She whispered, her gaze focused on Taehyung. "It's okay."

She helped the boy kneel in front of her, softly touching his face and wiping the tears. She then helped him turn around and now everyone at the table could see his face. Taehyung was definitely bothered by the sight, Jungkook could see it. Seokjin did not bother to look at the boy and was now staring at Yowang, who had a small smile on her lips. 

"Taehyung-ssi." Seulgi called him. "Would you like to do the honors?"

She had the knife resting on the boy's neck. It was almost embedded into the skin and it was not far from cutting it open. Seulgi had a grim smile on her face as if she was enjoying the boy's desperation. 

" _ Hyung _ ." The boy pleaded. "Please." 

_ Hyung? He knew Taehyung? _

Taehyung sighed. 

"It's your knife and your kill." Taehyung was mad even though he had a smile on his face.

"Good." Her smile was even darker. 

Seulgi grabbed the knife and cut the boy's cheek, holding him in place while he screamed and wiggled from the pain. Another cut. And another. More and more cuts were made. Jungkook could only think of Jackson's  _ Lingchi _ torture at this point. The sight making him sick. Taehyung had his fists closed and his lips twitched a couple of times. Seulgi seemed to have noticed and began to make even deeper cuts, making the boy scream in pain. She then grabbed the knife and stabbed the boy's eyes. The screams becoming even louder. As she pulled the knife out, she stared at Taehyung. 

Taehyung stood up and walked up to them. He grabbed the knife from Seulgi's hand and stabbed the boy on the neck. He then pulled the knife out and dropped it on the floor. The boy fell to the side and convulsed as his neck gushed blood and he spit blood and saliva everywhere.  _ Disgusting _ . Taehyung sat back down and sipped on his cup, looking unbothered by the sight. 

Seulgi snapped her fingers again and the door opened once more. Two men grabbed the boy's dead body and dragged him out of the room, blood being spilled everywhere. 

"Was that pity?" Seulgi inquired. 

"Annoyance." Taehyung was still looking unamused. 

"Was he annoying?" She was being a bitch about it.

"I hate people crying." Taehyung smiled at her. "So useless." 

"Enough." Bae Joo interrupted their little conversation. "It's time to go, Seulgi." 

The woman stood up and bowed, exiting the room. The three men shifted their attention to the woman. She smiled softly at them. She stood up and looked down at them. 

"Seokjin-ssi," She said softly. "I will see you soon." 

Seokjin hummed. 

"Jungkook-ssi, I hope we can see each other again." 

Jungkook faked a smile and bowed to the woman. 

"Taehyung-ssi, I hope this served as a lesson." She walked towards the door. "Do not take me for a fool. I am not  _ Wang _ Min."

She exited the room and the doors closed again. Seokjin sighed loudly. 

"I fucking hate that woman." He managed to say as he gulped down his drink. 

"Let's go." Taehyung stood up and walked towards the door, opening and leaving in a hurry. 

Jungkook followed behind, worried about the other man. He definitely knew that young boy and those women had done such a thing on purpose, hurt him on purpose. Taehyung's hands were turned into fists and Jungkook knew he was angry as he observed the man from behind. They quickly made their way outside. 

"Taehyung!" Jungkook called to him and the man turned to face him. 

"What do you want?" Taehyung growled at him. 

Jungkook did not know what he could say or even do. Taehyung was mad or even sad and Kook had no idea what to do when that happened. How could he comfort Taeyung? The worst idea possible crossed his mind and was the only thing he could do. The only thing that would probably do something. He could die after it, but at least he had tried. Jungkook walked up to Taehyung and grabbed his wrist, pulling him to the side of the house. The man growled as he tried to break loose. When Jungkook was far enough from the entrance, he let go. 

"What the fu-" Taehyung was interrupted.

Jungkook kissed the man. He did not use force nor tried to open his mouth. He just kissed his lips. Just tried to make him calm down. There was a bit of his own desire in this decision, but it was what he thought about. Jungkook did not hold him or touch him in any other way- he knew Taehyung did not like that. He just stood there, eyes closed and kissing the other man. They stood there for what felt like only mere seconds, but when Jungkook pulled back he saw Taehyung staring at him with eyes wide open. 

"What are you doing?" Taehyung did not sound mad, but his tone was not the best.

"I just didn't know what else to do." Jungkook was a bit ashamed. 

"So you just kissed me?" 

"Yes." 

"What is  _ wrong _ with you?" Taehyung seemed mad. 

"I saw you were mad because of that kid." Jungkook backed away. "You seemed sad about it." 

"You don't know what you are talking about." 

"I'm trying to help, Taehyung." Jungkook sighed. "I just don't know how." 

Taehyung sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Ok, Jungkook." He said at last. "Thank you for your help." 

Taehyung stared at Jungkook for a few seconds. Kook was a bit awkward after the whole ordeal, but he tried not to show. Tried to make Taehyung remain calm, but he had no idea how to do so. He had never comforted him before. Jungkook was the fragile one that always needed to be helped and Taehyung was the strong one who would help him. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jungkook tried. 

"No, I don't." Taehyung sighed. "I'm fine, Jungkook." 

"I don't want to force you." Jungkook took a step forward. "But I don't want to see you suffer either." 

"I'm not suffering. I'm mad." 

"At them?" 

"No." Taehyung stepped forward too. "At myself." 

Jungkook did not move further, he was not going to invade Taehyung's personal space. But he was the one walking forward, he was going towards Jungkook.  _ Shit _ . The other man was standing closer and there was only a palm between them. Taehyung raised his hand and Jungkook swallowed hard. His fingers touched the pale skin of Jungkook's neck, making him shiver slightly. 

"Why?" Taehyung suddenly asked, his fingers still playing with the skin.

"Why what?" Jungkook was confused. 

"Why do you insist on doing things like this?" 

"I don't know." Jungkook swallowed hard again. "I just do." 

"Do you want me to want you, Jungkook?" Taehyung was not smiling. He was not even looking Jungkook in the eye, he was just staring at his neck as his fingers contoured the old bruises on his neck.

"Do you want to?" Jungkook asked even though he was afraid of the answer. 

The fingers were gone and Taehyung was not as close either. There was a faint smile on his face, but it was not good. He was probably just doing it out of habit. Jungkook wanted to hug him and wanted to hold him, but he knew it would not be good. Taehyung would probably push him away. Still he tried it. He raised his fingers just enough so they would brush against Taehyung's knuckles and he saw the man flinch. 

Taehyung looked down and stared at Jungkook's hand that was brushing against his. Touching him slightly. Kook stopped the moment he realized Taehyung was staring. 

"Do that again." His tone was almost as if he was begging for more, startling Jungkook.

The young man raised his fingers again as he lightly brushed them on the back of the other man's hand as he stared down on it. Taehyung just stared as if he was mesmerized by it. Jungkook was breathing through his mouth trying to survive the strong scent Taehyung gave off, but he still did not want to step away. 

"Are you okay with that?" Jungkook was curious.

"It feels..." Taehyung seemed confused. "Different."

"This doesn't count as touching?" Jungkook tried joking a bit. 

"Apparently." Taehyung laughed lightly. "Not."

Taehyung looked up at Jungkook and they were both calm as they looked at each other.

"We should go back." Taehyung backed away from Jungkook and his touch. "Seokjin must be looking for us."

"Taehyung." Jungkook pulled his attention back. "Are you okay?" 

"Don't worry." He smiled lightly again. "I'm fine." 

Taehyung walked past Jungkook and started walking back to the house. Jungkook was feeling a bit better, but he was still worried about Taehyung. Worried he was keeping things to himself that would only blow up later. 

Jungkook lit a cigarette as he walked back to the front of the house, trying to mask Taehyung's smell. Seokjin was standing by the door, looking at his phone. 

"Where were you?" He was not mad, but he was still not happy.

_ Making out. _

"Talking." Jungkook answered lightly. 

"We have to go." Seokjin was already moving again. 

"Go where?"

"Seoul." Seokjin scoffed. 

\--

It was already nighttime when they were dropped off back to their car. Seokjin was a bit tipsy and Jungkook could see that he was tired. Taehyung had not spoken a word after they had left the house and things were a bit weird. 

"Seokjin," Jungkook turned to his brother. "You can go in the back so you can sleep during the trip." 

Taehyung looked over at him, one eyebrow arched. Seokjin did not argue and got inside, sitting behind the passenger seat. Taehyung got into the car as well and Jungkook sighed silently. This would be a long trip. He entered the car and then started it as he looked at his brother through the rearview mirror. 

"Are we going to angel town?" Jungkook asked him. 

"Yes." Seokjin answered in a cold tone. 

His brother told him the address and he entered it on the GPS. It would take them a few hours to reach it. Jungkook drove back to the road and they began their journey to Seoul. After what seemed like an eternity, Jungkook looked at his brother through the rearview mirror. Jin was yawning as he looked outside. 

"Hyung." He said in a soft tone. "You should get some rest." 

Seokjin looked at him with a confused face but ended up tilting his head back and closing his eyes. Jungkook was not going to risk starting a conversation with Taehyung at that moment. Seokjin was probably still awake and Kook did not want him to listen to his private business. So he waited. Every 2 seconds he would look at the rearview mirror and check if his brother was deep in his sleep.

"You are restless again." Taehyung broke his daze. 

"He's probably still awake." Jungkook smiled lightly. 

"Talk." Taehyung was still staring outside, not bothering to look at Jungkook. 

"I really don't want to talk about this in front of my brother." 

"Then don't." Taehyung sighed.

"That kid." Jungkook said calmly. 

"What about him?" 

"You knew him." 

"Yes." Taehyung sighed. "I did." 

Jungkook did not say anything else, hoping Taehyung would tell him more. 

"He worked for me." 

"For you?" 

"He was one of my masked people." 

"Masked what?" Jungkook was confused. 

"They infiltrate where I tell them to and bring me information."

"And he got caught."

"Yes." Taehyung hissed. "He did."

Jungkook did not dare to say anything else.

"Funny." Taehyung had a dark smile on his face. "I feel bad about killing a 15 year old." 

"You do?" Jungkook did not expect to hear that.

"You think I like to kill and that's it, right?" Taehyung was laughing lightly. "That I enjoy all the blood and gore." 

"No." Jungkook did not look at him as he tried his best not to laugh. "You hate the smell of blood." 

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"Yes." Jungkook could not hold back the laughter. 

Taehyung laughed along as he stared back out the window, his forehead touching the glass. 

"Can I ask you something?" Jungkook said softly. 

"Ask." 

"Why did you lie about Jackson?" 

"Because I do not need to boast about the way I kill someone." Taehyung frowned and Jungkook could see him tense again, so he decided to say something to lighten the mood.

"But you can boast about how you like people on their knees, all dirty and hopeless?" Jungkook had a sly smile on his face. 

"And you immediately thought I was talking about you?" Taehyung arched his eyebrow. 

"Weren't you?" 

"Maybe I was." The malicious smile on his face. 

Taehyung's hand slowly made its way to Jungkook's thigh, almost reaching the inner part of it. The movement obviously made him tense up and get as red as a tomato again. Taehyung was doing it on purpose. 

"Why are you..? Jungkook couldn't finish the sentence. 

"Touching you?" 

Jungkook hummed.

"I like touching people." Taehyung smiled. "I just don't like it when they touch me back." 

"Why?"

"Because it hurts." The smile faltered for a second. 

It was brutally honest of him to say so and Jungkook knew it. The strength he had to muster to say something so personal was no joke and it was not to be taken lightly. Jungkook smiled at him and tried to show his appreciation. Kook knew Taehyung's life had not been easy. He had grown up with a fucking self absorbed psychopath who raised him to kill people. That's no life. The pain Taehyung felt was probably due to the abuse he endured when he was younger. People dealt with traumas in different ways and Kook was almost certain his trauma had to do with the scent Taehyung gave off. But it was just a hunch. 

Seokjin shifted in his seat and Taehyung removed his hand from Jungkook's thigh. He liked the touch, but it was complicated.  _ They _ were complicated. Seokjin would never approve of them being together and Jungkook didn't even know if Taehyung wanted to be with him. It was just a big mess fueled by all the sexual tension between them. 

\--

Seoul is never dark. It doesn't matter what time it is, but it is always bright and bustling with life. All those people walking around, consuming whatever the Families provide. Drugs, alcohol, sex or fun. They would eat it up like the greedy people they are and beg for more. This was Seoul in a nutshell and Jungkook loved it. He enjoyed how that city consumed every single person within its reach and then disposed of them like they meant nothing. Some new consumer would take their place and get even more greedy. 

The city did not smell like the ocean- it smelled like cigarettes and perfume. Such an ordinary thing that always made him breathe in with all his strength. Jungkook couldn't actually do that inside the car, because that would mean breathing in Taehyung's smell and he would probably throw up. It was already as bad as it could get and he couldn't wait to get out of that car and inhale the unique air of the city. 

Jungkook had been extra careful not to set foot on Namjoon's territory and he was now driving around the streets of angel town. Half of Seoul had that name and it was no small thing. Junmyeon was a powerful man in a powerful city, that was exactly why he was needed. Jungkook stopped at the red light and looked back at his brother, touching his leg lightly. Seokjin woke up and stared back at him. 

"We are here." Jungkook announced as Jin looked around. 

Seokjin hummed lightly, scratching his eyes. 

"Head for the address." He said at last. "We are being expected." 

Their destination turned out to be a hotel. A very fancy one that Junmyeon probably owned. Jungkook parked the car in the garage and someone accompanied them up to the 18th floor. There were three separate suites for each of them, but Jungkook and Taehyung went into Seokjin's suite first. There were things they needed to discuss. 

"Junmyeon is the main key." Seokjin was walking back and forth in the room. "But he is the biggest threat."

"He has already been working with us for months." Taehyung was almost rolling his eyes. "We know what he wants." 

"That is impossible and you are quite aware." Seokjin's gaze was a bit too intense. 

"Seokjin," Taehyung was smiling. "That is not my problem." 

"Watch it, Taehyung." Seokjin was almost growling. 

"What does he want?" Jungkook joined the conversation. 

" _ Seoul _ ." Taehyung was smiling even brighter. 

"Like the  _ whole _ city?"

"Yes." Seokjin was mad. "He wants the whole fucking city to himself." 

"And Seokjin can't say no." Taehyung added.

"So our situation is that we want Seoul,  _ Yowang _ wants Seoul and Junmyeon wants Seoul."

"Exactly." Taehyung was almost laughing out loud. 

"Can't you divide the city into 3 sectors?" Jungkook was almost feeling proud of himself.

_ Almost. _

"Jungkook, baby." Taehyung sounded like he was talking to a child. "Junmyeon has owned half of the capital for as long as he's been in power. Do you really think he wants less than that?"

"But he can have half. It does not change the fact that the other half can be divided into more parts." Jungkook was almost proud again. 

_ Almost. Again. _

"He is already powerful. Without Namjoon in the picture, he will be the most powerful man in South Korea. If he wants all of Seoul, he will have it and there is nothing we can do to stop him." Seokjin finally sat down. 

"There is one way, Seokjin." Taehyung leaned forward. 

"Don't you dare say it." Jin's tone was as cold as a frozen cave.

"Fine." Taehyung stood up. "I'm going to bed. You can try to come up with a better solution without me." 

"If there's a way," Jungkook spoke up, a bit afraid. "Why don't you try?"

"Oh, baby, your brother has a very soft heart." 

"Taehyung!" Seokjin hissed. "Do not speak another word!"

"Seokjin," Taehyung finally rose. "I am not the one who needs his support. You know I can change sides whenever I feel you are not useful anymore." 

"Leave." Seokjin growled, but he did not look at Taehyung as he did so. 

" _ Hyung _ ," Jungkook sighed as he intervened. "Please, stop." 

"Stay out of this, Jungkook." Seokjin warned him aggressively. 

"Why would I?" Jungkook was getting mad. "I'm already part of this shit show, so I'm just as fucked as any of you. If there's a way, we should  _ fucking _ try it instead of getting ourselves killed by Junmyeon."

"You have no idea what you are talking about and if you did, you would not consider it so recklessly."

"So tell me!" Jungkook stood up as he hissed at his brother.

"Yes, Seokjin." Taehyung was smiling. " _ Tell _ him."

Jungkook did not know how he had moved so fast, but he was now standing in front of Taehyung. Protecting him. The moment he finished his sentence, Seokjin turned around and pointed his gun at him and Jungkook could see he had the intention to shoot. The look on his face was grim and he had had enough of Taehyung's attitude. 

"Move." Seokjin was not playing any game, he was going to shoot. 

"I do not have time for your little show." Taehyung had his dark tone back and Jungkook knew this was bad. "I am sure you will consider all the options, Seokjin."

Jungkook was feeling lost. If there was a way, why wouldn't Seokjin agree to it? Was it that bad a solution? Taehyung was staring at Jungkook, eyes dark. He left the room, leaving the two brothers alone. But Jungkook did not want to stay. He looked at Seokjin and sighed as he turned around to leave. 

"Jungkook."

The young man turned to look at his brother, expecting some sort of nasty comment. 

"Taehyung is no saint. Do not trust his every intention."

"I don't." Jungkook turned and left the room. 

As soon as the door closed, Jungkook sighed as he bent forward and put his hands on his knees. He always felt people were deliberately keeping him out of the loop. Maybe they just felt he was too stupid to understand and that always made him angry. Jungkook was not stupid and he hated beeing treated like that. 

"Are you mad?" 

Jungkook stood up to see Taehyung leaning against the wall a few feet away from him. He raised his head as soon as Jungkook looked at him and the malicious smile was back on his face. Jungkook swallowed hard. 

"It's nothing." Jungkook tried being dismissive. 

The young man straightened his back and walked past Taehyung, trying to ignore his smile and his scent. Every fiber in his body was yearning for desire, but he knew there was only his part in this whole situation. Jungkook walked down the dark corridor and he could feel the other man following behind. This was  _ so _ hard to ignore. The whole place smelled like him and even though Jungkook hated the smell, it still made him want to bury his nose in Taehyung's neck and breathe it in. 

"Jungkook." 

He turned around to see Taehyung standing by the door frame of his room, the door open. The smile on his lips made Jungkook swallow hard. It was impossible to ignore the fact that Taehyung was extremely handsome and seductive, especially when he acted like that.

"Get in." He said as he entered the room. 

Jungkook was lost but he did not waste any time obeying. He walked back and used his hand to keep the door that was almost closed, open. He took a deep breath as he pushed the door open. Taehyung was standing on the other side of the room, staring out of the window. Jungkook felt a bit breathless, but he knew it was just him overreacting because of something so simple as an invitation that did not really mean anything. Kook just stared. 

"Jungkook," Taehyung was still staring outside. "Do you want it?"

"Want what?" Jungkook was confused, his face turning red. 

"Sex, Jungkook." Taehyung finally turned to face him, his lips curled into some evil smile.


	24. POWER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT)

Jungkook could only swallow and hope he did not look too desperate. Of course he wanted to have sex with Taehyung. He had wanted for a long time, but there always seemed to be an impediment to that. But for the first time, Taehyung had shown interest and had done something other than teasing. 

"Taehyung..."Jungkook tried saying something. 

"I have asked you if you want to have sex with me." 

"I don't want to be used in your little game with my brother." Jungkook stepped back. 

"What?" Taehyung truly seemed offended. 

"I don't know why you asked this or why you are doing this." Jungkook sighed as he took another step back. "But I don't like being used."

"Used?" Taehyung moved forward but Jungkook only stepped further away. 

"You know how I feel." Jungkook was hoping his chest would hurt, but there was still nothing. "And I do not like having my feelings used for your personal business against my brother."

"Jungkook..." Taehyung tried to say.

"Don't be like  _ him _ ." Jungkook interrupted him. "Please." 

He could see that Taehyung was hurt by what he had just said. It was not his intentions to hurt him, but it was what he ended up doing. Jungkook just did not want to be hurt, not by him. Taehyung's face was grim. 

"I don't want to _ use _ you." Taehyung walked forward, but Jungkook did not step back this time. "I want sex. Simple as that."

"Just sex?" Jungkook could not mask his interest. 

" _ Just _ sex."

This was a bad idea. A  _ very _ bad idea. But how could his body say no to the invitation? Jungkook could see Taehyung coming closer, no smile. This was bad. Jungkook liked when Taehyung smiled maliciously at him or teased him with his words. This was just like an animal had smelled the prey and was coming to feed. This was nothing more than a business transaction to that man. Jungkook's heart sank. 

Taehyung was already close to him, his long and slim fingers opening the buttons of his shirt with calm and precision. Jungkook shivered at the sight. This was bad. The consequences would probably make him want to die later, but right now he could only dive into the pool of desire that had been filling his insides for a long time. Taehyung made his way down to the last button and took out Jungkook's shirt, letting it fall to the ground. The scars and bruises were all out in the open for Taehyung to see and Jungkook felt shame. He was ashamed he let people do that to him, but the only thing the other man did as he took in the sight, was lick his lips.  _ Fuck _ . 

Taehyung stopped. 

"What?" Jungkook whined. 

"Bed." Taehyung ordered. 

Jungkook did not wait, turning away and making his way towards the bed. He stopped and turned back to the other man. Taehyung was taking off his jacket and started to unbutton his own shirt. Jungkook followed the movement of the other man's fingers with his eyes. He bit his bottom lip hard. 

Taehyung was now shirtless and walking towards him, removing his belt as he moved. Jungkook was trembling at the sight, lusting over Taehyung. It did not take him long to be standing in front of Jungkook, the sweet metallic scent making him choke lightly.

"Turn around." Taehyung ordered again. 

Kook did not hesitate and turned around quickly, giving him the full sight of his broad tattooed back. Those same fingers that were so precise a minute earlier, were now contouring the black lines of the lilly drawn on the skin. The touch made Jungkook burn up and his breathing hitched dramatically. He could hear the faint laugh Taehyung let out. He was amused. 

The fingers went all the way down to the base of his back, stopping by the waist. 

"Undress." Taehyung whispered in his ear. 

Jungkook almost fell over at the sound of that deep voice. _ Fuck _ . He quickly opened the single button and unzipped his pants. Letting it fall calmly to the ground. His trembling fingers worked their way to his briefs, making them drop to the ground too.  His penis slapped up against his stomach, wet and hard. Jungkook winced at the movement. He heard the faint laughter again. Taehyung was probably enjoying the sight. 

"Bend over." Another dry order from the older man. 

Again Jungkook responded instantly and did as he was told, bending forward as he supported his weight with his forearms on the soft fabric of the bedding.  _ Oh god _ . He could feel Taehyung approaching and making every hair on his body stand.  _ Please _ . He used his fingers to trace his way down to Jungkook's ass, finally stopping at his rim. Circular moves making him moan.  _ Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck _ . Jungkook could feel himself getting wet and sticky. His penis covered in his fluids as it twitched at the touch. 

The moving fingers suddenly disappeared and Jungkook let out a small moan that was nothing more than a whine. He wanted more.  _ So _ much more. He could feel the hardness of Taehyung's erection, still hidden inside his pants, as he pressed down on Jungkook. One hand on his neck.  _ Oh, please _ . Jungkook moaned loudly at the tightness around his neck, the breathing becoming more difficult. This was his little kink and Taehyung was fully aware of how he liked it. 

"Please." He begged. 

"Please what?" Taehyung sounded so dark, but the tone made everything even more intense. 

"Please,  _ sir _ ." Jungkook managed to moan. 

The grip on his neck became tighter and two fingers showed up at his mouth, forcing it open. Jungkook sucked on those fingers like his life depended on it, moaning uncontrollably. His tongue licked every single inch of skin on those long fingers, making sure they were dripping wet with saliva. At some point, his eyes closed and Jungkook could only imagine what Taehyung would do next. He wanted to  _ beg _ for it.

_ Fuck me. _

_ Fuck me now. _

The other man seemed to notice his thoughts and laughed maliciously like Jungkook had never heard before.  _ So hot! _

"So greedy, baby." Taehyung took his fingers out of the young man's mouth. 

"P-please, sir." Jungkook did not care anymore and he just begged. He  _ needed _ more. 

"You want me to fuck you?" Taehyung was almost sarcastic. 

"Yes, sir."Jungkook did not know if he spoke or moaned. "Please." 

Those same long and wet fingers that were once in his mouth, were now playing at the entrance of his hole. 

"Ahh." Jungkook moaned loudly at the touch. 

"No screaming." Taehyung ordered. 

Jungkook went back to his soft moan as Taehyung drew circles at the rim, teasing him lightly. And then they slip inside him, making him convulse at the invasion.  _ OH FUCK. _ Jungkook could not control himself as he let out a loud and deep moan that echoed around the room. Taehyung only laughed at the response. Taehyung opened and closed his fingers, scissoring his insides as he moved them in and out of the hole. 

Jungkook trembled hard everytime he was filled again and he could hear Taehyung growling at the sight.  _ SO FUCKING GOOD _ . The tightness on his neck and the movement in his ass making him go insane. Taehyung choked him harder, everytime those fingers entered him and Jungkook just didn't want him to stop. 

"Please, sir." Jungkook was helpless. 

"Do you like when I finger you like that?" Taehyung was growling. 

"Yes," Jungkook moaned again. "Sir."

Taehyung growled again as he removed his fingers from the whole and took his hand off his neck. Jungkook whined at their disappearance and looked back. He was sure he had puppy eyes and those would grant him more. Taehyung laughed loudly. Jungkook could see him unzip his pants and rub his own penis up and down, the stick fluid covering every inch. 

"Do you want it?" He stared at Jungkook, breathing hitched. 

"Please, sir." Jungkook could not stress any more how much he wanted that cock. "I want it!" 

Taehyung stroke his penis a couple more times before he positioned himself in front of Jungkook's ass, parting them and filling him up in one sharp push. The young man moaned extremely loudly as Taehyung filled him completely, almost too big for the space. He was so big and thick. So perfect in every fucking way. Jungkook was slipping into a state of complete and utter happiness, almost as if he was drugged. 

He moaned and growled along with Taehyung as he thrusted his penis inside of him, almost painfully.  _ Painfully good _ . It was strong and rhythmic, Jungkook being pushed forward with all the strength.  _ Please. _ He could no longer hold his own weight and fell on the mattress, ass perking up and his cheek feeling the softness of the bedding fabric. 

"Please fuck me, sir." 

"Oh, baby." Taehyung thrusted harder. "I  _ love _ when you beg for it." 

Jungkook felt his cheek getting wet as the saliva wet the fabric around his face. He couldn’t stop moaning and his mouth couldn’t be closed. He was so close to coming. Every thrust took him closer to the edge, making him moan even louder. And then he felt it. Taehyung had leaned closer and grabbed his penis, stroking it up and down as he continued thrusting harder. 

He worked his way from the tip to the base of the cock in swift and fast moves. Jungkook couldn’t hold any longer as the intense handling of his penis grew faster.  _ OH FUCK. SHIT. FUCK. PLEASE. _

"I-I'm" Jungkook moaned even louder. "I'm gonna come." 

Jungkook moaned and growled loudly as he came all over Taehyung's hand, himself and the bedding. Taehyung growled loudly as well as he thrusted even harder and faster while Jungkook rode the high of his orgasm. His body convulsing uncontrollably and all his muscles feeling soft, as if he was going to collapse. 

"Fuck, baby!" Taehyung growled. 

He suddenly felt the warm liquid inside of him. Taehyung had come as well and it felt  _ so _ good. So  _ beautifully _ good. 

They were both panting as Taehyung pulled out and stood up again. Jungkook had no strength left and tumbled to the side. Hand on his chest as he wheezed. 

"Fuck." Taehyung cursed loudly. 

Jungkook managed to perk his head up and stared at the other man. 

"Wh-" He took a deep breath. "at?" 

"How the fuck" Taehyung exhaled loudly "did you do that?" 

"Did what?" Jungkook supported his head with his arm. 

"Made..." Taehyung looked extremely flustered and confused. Jungkook liked this look on him. 

"Made you come?" He had a faint smile on his face as he tried to catch his breath. 

Taehyung wobbled and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Jungkook with a confused and incredulous look on his face. His cheeks were red and he had small drops of sweat on his forehead. 

"No." He managed to say at last. "Made me come like  _ that _ ." 

"Taehyung," Jungkook frowned. "I have no idea what you are talking about." 

"Nevermind." 

"It was good." Jungkook laughed lightly. 

"Yeah." Taehyung stood up again. 

"Do you want me to leave?" Jungkook was a bit sad as he stared at the other man. 

"You can stay if you want." Taehyung walked out of the bedroom and into the bathroom on the other side of the room and Jungkook watched him

A few moments later he came back with two towels. He cleaned himself up as he walked back to the bed. When he was closer, he threw one of the damp towels at Jungkook, hitting him on the face. 

"Thank you?" Jungkook was smiling as he removed the towel from his face. 

"Don't mention it." Taehyung sat back down on the edge of the bed. 

"I thought you weren't into the after sex hugging and cuddling." Jungkook said jokingly. 

"I'm not." Taehyung's face was calm but his tone was stern. 

"Such a lousy lover." Jungkook was only half joking this time. 

"I'm not your lover, Jungkook." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "We just fucked." 

Taehyung put down his towel and let his hand rest on the mattress. He stared at it for a long time and Jungkook enjoyed looking at him so lost in his own thoughts. The young man shifted on the bed and turned around. He was now much closer to Taehyung, their hands not far from each other. Jungkook was so absorbed in the whole scene that he just ignored his own warnings. His fingers brushing lightly against the back of Taehyung's hand. 

He did not look at the other man, but he could feel he was being watched. When Jungkook finally looked up, he could see Taehyung staring at him. A complicated look on his face. He stopped immediately and pulled his hand back. 

"I'm sorry." He said without looking Taehyung in the eye. 

"Do it again." He looked at Jungkook expectantly. 

Jungkook had no idea how long they stayed like that, enjoying the soft touch. But at some point he got up, put his clothes on and left. Taehyung did not say anything else, too focused on his own hand. He looked mesmerized. Jungkook left and went back to his room. Lying down on the soft and warm bed. The exhaustion from the events of the day washed over him and it didn't take him long to fall asleep. 

\--

"What is that on your neck?" Seokjin asked in a very unfriendly manner. 

Jungkook quickly used the cover to hide whatever it was that his brother saw, but he knew that it was probably the marks of Taehyung's fingers on his neck. He had grabbed it a bit too hard the night before and it was probably still visible. 

"Nothing." Jungkook dismissed his comment. "When are we leaving?" 

"Soon." Seokjin was still not convinced. "Where is Taehyung?"

"Probably in his room." 

There was a knock on the door and Jungkook walked up to it to see who it was. Taehyung was standing outside his room.  _ Fuck. _ He was wearing his usual all black outfit combo and Jungkook was a bit awestruck by the man's beauty. The problem was his face was not happy. Taehyung seemed mad.  _ Very _ mad. 

"We have a problem." Taehyung pushed Jungkook aside and entered the room, staring at Seokjin. 

"Yes," His brother hissed. "We do." 

"What's your plan?" Taehyung sat on the couch and stared at Seokjin. 

"We are meeting Junnmyeon soon and we will discuss this with him." 

"And if he tells us to solve our own fucking problems?" Taehyung was almost growling. 

"Then we are solving our own fucking problems, Kim Taehyung." 

The door of the room opened again and Jungkook almost died when he saw who had just entered. Park Chanyeol and Oh Sehun were now standing in the middle of the room, staring at Seokjin and Taehyung. 

"We will take you to see Mr. Kim." Chanyeol said in a calm tone. 

Both men were almost 2 meters tall and Jungkook felt small next to them. They also had a very serious and murderous aura around them. The young man could only stare at the two men who had almost killed him a few months ago. The thought made his bones ache and Jungkook flinched slightly. 

Both Seokjin and Taehyung bowed as they walked behind the two men. Jungkook joined them as soon as they went by the door. 

They went down to the hotel's garage and were put into the car. Chanyeol was the one driving and Seokjin, Jungkook and Taehyung rode along with him. Sehun followed behind in another car. 

His brother had sat in the front, alongside Chanyeol and Jungkook was now sharing the back seat with Taehyung, trying hard not to look at him. 

It did not take them long to arrive at an office building in the city center. It was one of those new high tech buildings all made of glass and metal. 

Chanyeol took them down to the building's garage and then up to the 18th floor. Jungkook noticed it was the same floor they were staying over at the hotel. Maybe Junmyeon was a bit superstitious about the number. They walked around the office floor and it seemed to be completely empty. Maybe because of their visit. They finally arrived in front of a high black door that was opened promptly. Junmyeon was sitting at the big wooden desk at the end of the room and stood up as soon as he saw the other men. A smile on his face. 

"Seokjin-ssi, Taehyung-ssi and Jungkook-ssi." He bowed lightly. "Welcome." 

Junmyeon pointed at the black chairs that sat around a small glass coffee table, signaling them to sit down. 

"Junmyeon-ssi." Seokjin had his fake smile back on. "Always a pleasure to see you." 

"Oh please." He laughed lightly. "No need to lie." 

Taehyung produced a sly smile, probably because Seokjin had just been slightly humiliated by Junmyeon. 

"Have you thought about my proposal?" Junmyeon crossed his legs. The smile still on his face. 

"Yes." Seokjin was still composed. "I think it is a bit of a stretch."

"It is, but I don't see how you could say no." 

"There is always a way." Taehyung entered the conversation. 

"Indeed there is, Taehyung-ssi." Junmyeon's eyes seemed to grow dark. 

"You have the star so you can do whatever you please." Seokjin was a bit mad. 

"I can and I will." Junmyeon turned to face Jungkook. "Everything in its due time." 

No one dared to say anything else, because Junmyeon was right. He could do whatever he wanted because that was just how powerful he was. 

"Well, I have analyzed a few things and it seems possible for us to make an agreement." Junmyeon was now looking at Sehun, who had somehow entered the room without anyone noticing. He walked forward. 

Sehun placed a black folder in front of Junmyeon and Jungkook was a bit startled to see that both men exchanged a look that he was all too familiar with.  _ No way _ . He had seen it on many occasions but it never occurred to him that he might see it here and between those two men. It was the same look of admiration and affection Jimin would give Yoongi and the same one he had seen Joo Hyun give Seulgi. This was extremely weird. 

"As I was saying." Junmyeon picked up the folder. "There is a possibility." 

"Which is?" 

"I will not change the current agreement." Junmyeon looked at Jungkook again and then shifted his gaze to Seokjin. "But I will be the one in charge." 

"Excuse me?" Seokjin sounded utterly upset by the other man's demand and Jungkook didn’t understand why.

"It is as simple as that." 

"Simple?" Seokjin scoffed. "You know they would  _ never _ agree to that?"

"But that is not my job nor my problem, is it Seokjin-ssi?" 

Junmyeon sighed and Jungkook sensed something bad was coming. 

"This country is dirty, you know? Corrupt, foul and dirty as can be. It is filled with disgusting little people who only desire power. They will crave it for the rest of their lives, but they will never have it. Not because they can't reach it. Oh no, no. It is because there are people like me." 

Seokjin inhaled deeply, almost as if he was trying to control himself. 

"Power is something I wield. I control the politics, the economy and I provide the entertainment that makes them laugh. So whenever power becomes the topic, I feel the need to explain that those who wield such power are the true  _ gods _ . I have the power to transform, destroy and create again the way I see fit."

Sehun had a very menacing smile on the corner of his lips. He had surely heard that speech many times, but he probably enjoyed it every time he heard it. It was extremely powerful. 

"Having so much in one's hand is complicated. People might believe the right question would be "What can I do with such power?" But actually, the right question is "What am I  _ allowed  _ to do with it?" Because power comes at a cost. A very expensive and damaging one."

Jungkook was trying to breathe properly. Junmyeon was truly someone you should not take lightly. He had the power to make any single person kneel before him and that was not a simple thing to do. 

"I ask why we are allowed, because there are rules. Set up by people that, like me, once wielded such powers. Rules that determine that there is a limit to what we can reach. But once you reach a certain level, those rules become a hindrance. How can you move forward if there are things that push you backwards? So that is why I do not believe in such rules. I do not abide by them, Seokjin-ssi. Do you know why?" 

Seokjin said nothing. Jungkook swallowed hard as he stared and Taehyung. The man was having fun seeing his brother being destroyed in such a manner. 

"Because those rules were created by people who were too afraid of what would happen if they didn't set up such rules. But once you become someone like me, you learn not to be afraid. You understand that you are not bound by those shackles and hindrances those small-minded little people created."

Sehun seemed to be in awe watching that man speak such words. Jungkook could see the glimmer in his eyes. 

"Those rules fit your simple little world. They give the false idea that you are a king in the middle of peasants. Your own little version of greatness. But I will tell you here and now that you are only a mere pawn in the world that I control. I am an ambitious man with unlimited power at his disposal. For that sole reason, I will not settle for nothing short of greatness and I am not afraid of dying while trying to reach it."

The room was quiet again. Junmyeon had just finished his menacing speech and managed to keep his smile throughout. It was truly remarkable. Seokjin's hand had turned into a fist for a few seconds and then he relaxed it again. His fingers a light shade of purple. 

"All you have to do is obey my orders and the others will certainly follow suit." Junmyeon signaled at Sehun. "It is quite simple actually."

Sehun delivered another black folder to Junmyeon's hand and together with it, a small red box.

"If I agree to that," Seokjin was almost growling. "will you accept their demands?"

"I will certainly consider, but you know I cannot say yes to everything people ask." 

"There are certain things I strongly recommend you consider." Seokjin had his smile back. 

"Like  _ Yowang's _ request for acting in Seoul."

"With Min Yoongi out of the picture," Taehyung spoke again. "She will be the best person to provide material for the clubs." 

"That is true." Junmyeon hummed lightly. "I will set a monthly quota for her. Her access will depend on what she provides." 

Seokjin nodded. 

"Hoseok-ssi." Taehyung and Seokjin looked at each other and then back at Junmyeon as he mentioned the name. "Does he have any requests?" 

"He does." 

"Let me guess." Junmyeon seemed amused. "I will not touch him and he will continue to provide my weapons?" 

"Yes." Seokjin seemed as if he wanted to roll his eyes. "You know how he is." 

"Hoseok-ssi can stay quietly in his territory." Junmyeon turned to Chanyeol this time. "But I will be revising my agreement with him." 

"Si-" Seokjin tried to appeal. 

"This does not concern you, Seokjin-ssi."

Seokjin bowed, defeated by the other man's words. 

"Now, let's talk about how we will solve this whole Namjoon-ssi problem." Junmyeon opened the small red box. 

"Yoongi-ssi has acted." Taehyung looked at Chanyeol. "He has Yuto's men with him." 

"Tell me something useful, Taehyung." Chanyeol hissed. 

"Manners, Chanyeol-ah." Taehyung had his malicious smile as he looked at the other man.

_ Chanyeol-ah? _

Jungkook could feel jealousy take over him. Did they know each other that well? His jealous thoughts ceased the moment his gaze dropped on the object Junmyeon had in his hand. The star pendant studded with gemstones. Jungkook was now staring at the small object, wondering why such a small thing was so important to them. 

"He has tried very hard to get this back." Junmyeon inspected the object. 

" _ Very _ hard." Chanyeol seemed annoyed. 

"Taehyung-ssi," Junmyeon turned to him. "I forgot to thank you for solving one of my most annoying problems." 

"Me?" Taehyung seemed truly intrigued, his sly smile on his lips. 

"You killed Jackson Wang." Chanyeol was unnamused and Junmyeon was laughing at his demeanor. 

Taehyung did not say anything. He just bowed and smiled back at Junmyeon. 

Their meeting went on for a bit longer. Junmyeon and Seokjin discussed their business, and Taehyung and Chanyeol kept on bickering with each other. Jungkook was seriously jealous of their whole interaction. They seemed too comfortable with each other and that made him have mixed feelings towards both men. 

"It was a pleasure having you all." Junmyeon stood up and the others followed suit.

"The pleasure was ours." Seokjin said calmly as he bowed to the other man. 

They exchanged pleasantries for a few more moments and then Sehun and Chanyeol followed them outside. Jungkook kept staring at the red-haired man as he walked alongside Sehun. There was something about him that he couldn't quite determine. Something murderous, but also very intense. Truly unique. Maybe he could understand why Taehyung and him would be close enough so he could address him in such a manner. 

The three men were dropped off at the hotel and Jungkook could not wait to go back to his room and take a long hot shower. The last few days had been rather intense and the night before with Taehyung…

"Jungkook!" Seokjin called him.

Jungkook had been standing still inside the elevator, but both Taehyung and Seokjin were already standing in the corridor. He had not even realized they had arrived at their floor. Jungkook shook his head out of his daze and walked out of the elevator. There was nothing to say or do, at least not in front of Seokjin. And he knew his brother was probably too exhausted after their conversation with Junmyeon, so it was better if he was left alone. 

The three of them parteds and entered each of their rooms, silently. Jungkook went straight to the bathroom to take his long awaited shower. He probably stayed in there for nearly an hour, the room being filled with the soft steam that came from inside the bathroom. He felt like another person. It felt good. Relaxing in the midst of all this chaos seemed impossible, but he had his few minutes of it. 

Jungkook suddenly felt a hand hold him in place. Someone behind him was holding him tight and he tried to fight against the grip, squirming and turning. But then he felt a sharp pinch on his neck and the hot liquid being poured into his body.  _ Shit _ . He still tried to fight whoever it was, but it did not take him long to lose control of his limbs and fumble to the ground. 

He was not completely out, but he wasn't fully awake either. It was a semi-conscious state that made focusing very hard. He could just accept whatever the person made him do. The other man put a black piece of fabric over his head and it all became dark. Jungkook just held up and was supported by the other men that led the way. He would mumble incoherent things and his legs would fail him from time to time. Someone helped him into what seemed like a car and they drove off- the faint noise of the engine was the only thing he could hear. His body was completely limp as he lied on the car seat. 

He did not know how long it took them to stop. His mind was in complete disarray. But he finally heard a familiar voice. A voice he did not want to hear in a moment like this. 

"Kookie darling, you are here." Jimin's voice was close to his ear.  _ Too _ close.


	25. TOY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Jungkook was still unable to control his own body and whoever was in that place with him, knew it. Someone raised him up and sat him on a chair. It was definitely not comfortable, but it only got worse when he felt his hands and feet being tied up. He was being held in place and Jimin, and whoever was helping him, seemed they would not be letting him go any time soon. Jungkook felt his stomach turn and his head spin a couple more times, the mess in his head becoming even more intense. 

The black fabric was suddenly lifted and he could now see the faint silhouette of his brother. Jimin was not alone. He stood in front of Jungkook with his usual dramatic demeanor and a smile on his face. The sight making him feel sick. But it could be due to the drug they had injected in him as well. Besides Jimin, Jungkook could see Kim Namjoon. His sight was a bit blurry, but there was no way this man could be anyone else. 

Jungkook suddenly felt a hand on his face and he could see that Jimin's small fingers were brushing against his cheeks. The touch felt weird, since he was not as fond of his brother as he had once been. This man had kidnapped him, so feeling happy when he touched him would be insane. Still, a slight warm feeling began to settle in his heart. 

"It's been a while, darling." Jimin said in his soft tone. 

"..."

"It will take a while for you to go back to normal, but you will eventually. Then we will start." 

"Ji" Jungkook mumbled. "min." 

"Yes, darling." Jimin laughed lightly. "I am here." 

His brother walked away and Jungkook could hear a faint conversation happening afar. Jimin was probably talking to Namjoon, but he could not understand a single word. Everything was so hazy and confusing. There was a bright light shining on his face and it made everything else disappear. It was too strong for the dark background so it was just bright and silent. Jungkook was coming in and out of consciousness even though he tried hard to keep himself awake. 

There was a sudden darkness. It was raining again.  _ Why was it raining?  _ Jungkook could feel the raindrops falling on his skin and he shivered every time. He hated the rain and getting drenched by it. There was a woman in the distance. She was standing far from him, but he felt as if he was close enough to smell the citrus perfume on her mixed with something else. It was almost like baby powder. It was a strange scent. But it called to him, told him to come closer to smell it better. 

Again he felt as if that person was calling to him. This felt familiar. She held an umbrella in her hand and he could see the flowery pattern on the orange background. The sight did not feel uncomfortable- instead it made him want to see it up close. He wanted to stand closer to that woman. He could hear a muffled sound in the middle of the loud sound of the raindrops falling. Almost like crying. Was she crying again?  _ Again? _ Jungkook realized she was the same woman who had appeared in the dream he had had in Hoseok's house. The same one that had told him to wake up and basically prevented him from being murdered. 

She was standing there in the middle of the rain by the end of the road. Even though Jungkook wanted to see her, he did not dare to walk closer. The whole scene seemed threatening and he did not dare to move. He stayed still, getting drenched in the rain. But it felt warm. The rain was pouring, but it was hot. It was like a summer rain, drenching him from head to toe but not making the weather cooler. 

It was  _ too _ hot, almost like a burn. His fingers trembled and he could feel the pain. They hurt so bad. Like the rain was burning them. When Jungkook looked down, he could see his hands on fire. He did not feel desperate as he stared at the flames coming up from his fingers. The pain was real and it was there, but he did not move an inch. He did not cry. He did not scream. 

Jungkook blinked a few times and it felt as if he had woken up from a bad dream. He could see Jimin kneeling in front of him. Things were still a bit blurry, but his sight was much clearer than before. He could actually see every detail on his brother's face. The pain in his hands was still there. As if his fingers had been burned. His arms had been tied to the arms of the chair and his hands dangled in front of them. Jimin held a lighter and Jungkook now understood what he had been doing. 

His brother had been burning his fingers with the lighter and that was where the pain came from. He wanted to scream loudly and try to break loose, but that was what Jimin expected from him. He wanted to see Jungkook despair and somehow Jungkook was fighting the urge to scream. His brother was smiling at him. 

"Are you still dreaming, darling?" 

Jungkook groaned at the remark and began to look around. There was not much to the room, only a few chairs lying around. Jungkook expected this to be an abandoned warehouse, but it just seemed like an unused apartment somewhere. Almost like the one Jackson had used to torture that young boy so many months ago. Jimin continued burning the tips of Jungkook's fingers and the young man only groaned slightly at the pain. It was certainly frustrating. 

"You are no fun, Kookie." Jimin seemed to have read his thoughts as he rolled his eyes. 

The pain was still there, but he only endured it silently. Jungkook would not give his brother what he desperately wanted- his despair. It was almost as if Jimin fed on that. He needed people around him to be in utter desperation in order to rule with his calmness.  _ Typical _ . 

"Jungkook-ssi." Namjoon called him from within the darkness. 

"He is still not out of it." Jimin answered the other man. 

"I'm fine." Jungkook was almost growling. 

"See? He is fine, Jimin-ssi." Namjoon was laughing. 

"What the fuck do you want, Namjoon?" Jungkook was indeed growling. The pain had become a bit too intense. 

"I just want to know a couple of things, Jungkook." 

"And why the  _ fuck _ do you think I would tell you anything?" Jungkook said as he yanked forward.

A very strong slap crossed his face and Jungkook winced from the pain. Jimin put his hands behind his back again and smiled at his brother. He crouched in front of him and tilted his chin up with his small fingers. 

"Manners, Jungkook." He said softly. 

"I have no problem killing you, Jungkook." Namjoon paced around. "If you do not tell me what I want to know, you will not live to see me kill your dear older brother." 

"I have nothing to tell you, you  _ dick _ ." Jungkook had nothing to lose. If he was going to die, he would at least not be gentle about it. 

"Well, I guess we will have to force it out of you." Jimin was smiling brightly. 

_ CRACK _

Jungkook tried his best to remain calm, but the pain was intense.  _ Too _ intense. Jimin had just broken his index finger and the pain had begun to spread. He felt his arm burn. Jungkook groaned at the pain and stared back at his brother, his breath hitching. 

"I will break each and every bone in your body until you speak." Jimin threatened. 

"Go" Jungkook gritted his teeth. "ahead."

Jimin smiled as he broke two more fingers. Jungkook wanted to scream and cry, but he held it in. The pain was excruciating, but he hid it. He did not let Jimin see how miserable he was. 

"Where is the star?" Namjoon asked impatiently.

"Fuck you." Jungkook spit on the ground. 

This time Jimin was more brutal and kicked Jungkook's shin, hard enough for the bone to break. The pain was unbearable this time. Jungkook jerked forward and let out a loud scream. His head was now pending low and his eyes closed. 

"I suggest you answer me properly." Jimin was almost laughing. 

"I won't" Jungkook inhaled. "tell you  _ shit _ ."

The look on Jimin's face changed and he stared at Namjoon for a second. He looked extremely mad, but at the same time his face was still soft. 

"Kookie darling, do you even know what that star is?" 

"..." 

"Let me tell you a story." Jimin crouched and stared at his brother. 

"Jimin!" Namjoon hissed. 

"He is going to die anyway." Jimin rolled his eyes. "He can at least die knowing who he is." 

"What" Jungkook inhaled again, trying to forget the pain. "are you talking about?"

"Oh baby, you are such a cliché." Jimin was laughing out loud. 

"M-Me?" 

"Jimin!" Namjoon growled again. 

"Do  _ you _ want to tell him?" Jimin did not even turn to the other man. 

Namjoon scoffed and moved further away. He seemed extremely mad at whatever Jimin intended to say. 

"Your lovely mother was actually very famous, you know?" Jimin tilted his head up and turned Junkook's face to Namjoon. 

Jungkook hissed at the touch. 

" _ Your _ mommy is  _ his _ mommy, too." Jimin continued and stared back at Jungkook. 

_ What? _

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jungkook growled, his mind in an even bigger mess than before. 

"You see, Kookie." Jimin tilted his head. "Your daddy thought your mommy cheated on him, so she had to run away and left you in Busan." 

Jungkook was almost throwing up. 

"Now," Jimin stood up again. "be polite to your brother." 

Kook was breathless and the room was spinning. The pain was splitting and he was now discovering who he truly was. If this was any other moment in his life, Jungkook would be happy to finally understand where he came from. But now it was just evil. Jimin was surely going to kill him, so this was just him having fun with Jungkook. Giving him exactly what he had always wanted and at the same time he was going to take it away soon.  _ Wicked _ . 

_ CRACK _

Jimin broke one more finger and Jungkook came back to reality. The pain was starting to become unbearable to control. The questions continued and Jungkook did his best not to answer anything. 

_ Where is the star? _

_ Who is helping Kim Seokjin? _

_ Where is Kim Taehyung?  _

_ What is your brother's plan? _

No answers, so the bones continued to be broken. At some point all the bones in both his hands had already been broken. Jungkook was starting to lose consciousness again. And then he felt it.  _ Please. _ The string in his neck pulled his head back up and he was choking hard. His mind flew back to Jackson.  _ Please, no. _ The pain in his chest was back. 

The string cut into the skin and Jungkook could not breathe. Everything went dark and Jungkook was in the middle of the darkness again with no air inside his lungs. Suddenly, the air was back, alongside the pain. Jimin was standing in front of him smiling. Jungkook looked at the source of the pain and he could see the knife embedded in his right thigh, blood pouring out. 

"You won't answer me?" Namjoon was extremely impatient. 

"Why?" Jungkook was still breathless. 

"Why what?" Namjoon was not pleased. 

"Why the  _ fuck _ do you think I would tell you anything?" Jungkook had a small smile on the corner of his mouth. "Just kill me." 

Jimin laughed loudly, putting his hand on his chest. Jungkook's smile did not falter when he saw the other man walk towards him and pull out the knife from his leg. He played with the sharp object between his fingers and the knife dug into the skin again. This time Jimin stabbed him on his shoulder, pushing the blade deep into the skin. Jungkook winced again due to the pain. It was  _ extremely _ painful. 

"Tell me what Seokjin told Junmyeon." Jimin spoke calmly. 

"Fine." Jungkook spit again. 

Namjoon looked at him expectantly. 

"Junmyeon said" Jungkook sighed. "he was going to kill all of you and take Seoul." 

Jungkook felt breathless again and now it was because Namjoon had his hands on his neck. He was fuming. This was just  _ hilarious _ . This man wanted to kill him and yet he went for the only place Jungkook felt pleasure whenever someone touched him there, especially when the person made him choke. Jungkook could only laugh, making Namjoon even more furious. His finger dug deep into the skin. 

The laughter was hoarse due to the lack of air, but the young man did not stop. The laughter grew stronger as the air left his lungs and he choked even more. 

"What’s so funny?" Namjoon was completely enraged. 

"I  _ like _ when you choke me." His smile was even broader now and Namjoon let go immediately. He had a disgusted look on his face. 

Jimin was laughing again and pushed Namjoon out of the way. He grabbed the knife handle and slowly twisted the sharp end inside of Jungkook's flesh. Jungkook could not hold it inside and let out a loud groan as the pain traveled throughout his body. Jimin was laughing at the sight. 

"Do you like when I do it like that?" Jimin asked in a sarcastic way. 

"Jimin," Jungkook was spitting blood. "getting cut is not my  _ thing _ ." 

The elder man's smile faltered for a second but it did not go away. He was mad and Jungkook could see it. He twisted the knife for a while longer and Jungkook groaned even harder when the blade moved. Jimin pulled out the knife making his shoulder bleed profusely. Things became a bit blurry as he bled out, the light was beginning to fade and Jungkook could feel he was getting lighter. 

Jimin stabbed him again, this time in the abdomen. He looked down and then back at this person who was not his brother anymore. Jimin had pain in his eyes, even though his smile was still there. Maybe he knew this would kill Jungkook. Maybe he knew he was killing someone who had cared about him. Jungkook felt the pain in his body merge in his heart. 

The pain was even more aggressive now, since Jimin had yet again stabbed him. This time the pain came from his chest. He probably did not hit something important, but Jungkook felt the pain grow in his chest. It was almost unbearable as he looked down to see his chest pour out alarming amounts of blood.  _ Shit. _ Jungkook spit blood on the floor and the metallic taste took over his mouth. He could feel the drops of blood drip down the side of his mouth.

He suddenly smelled something he did not anticipate. The air was sweet, the weird scent of death was there and it was because of him. Jungkook was near death and he knew it. The knife was pulled out again and Jimin put it against his chest. Inserting just the tip of the blade into the skin. 

"You won't answer me?" Jimin was truly annoyed. 

Jungkook suddenly felt the urge to speak. It was probably the last time he would be able to say something, so he just blurted out without thinking much about it. 

"Jiminie," his voice was so low that it was almost a whisper. "I truly loved" he stopped once more. "you like a brother." 

Jimin faltered for the first time as he took two steps back. Jungkook could faintly see him walk away but his head was heavy and it dropped back down as he slowly lost consciousness. The metallic taste in his mouth and the sweet smell in the air reminded him of Taehyung. That awful scent of his was now so overpowering that he thought he was there. His body went numb and Jungkook saw himself in the darkness again. The pain was gone as he felt like he was lying on the grass. It was so soft. He wanted to rest there. Close his eyes and let go. 

_ JUNGKOOK! _

_ JUNGKOOK! _

He blinked with difficulty. The grass was so much better than the hardness of the ground he was lying on.  _ Hard? _ Jungkook opened his eyes lightly and he could see someone was calling him. The light was a bit too bright at first, but then he finally saw who was calling him so persistently. Taehyung was holding him in his lap as he pressed down on the wound on his abdomen. The blood kept pouring out. 

"Jungkook!" Taehyung was screaming. "Open your fucking eyes." 

"Tae..." Jungkook was having trouble speaking as he spat out blood. 

"Don't you dare close your eyes!" Taehyung's tone was urgent.

"You." More blood came out of his mouth. "Are." He tried to hold the other man, but he had no strength. "Here." 

"I am." Taehyung's voice was slightly hoarse. "Please, Jungkook." 

"It hurts." Jungkook managed to say. 

"I know." Taehyung shook him awake again. "But it's going to get better. I promise." 

Jungkook spat out blood again and this time it was a large mouthful. He felt Taehyung shake him again, but he did not have any strength anymore. He could only lie there. His hands dropped to the ground, even though he wanted to hold onto Taehyung. He really wanted to stay in that moment for as long as he could, but his eyelids just felt so heavy. The grass he was lying on before felt so much better, so he wanted to go back. He wanted to rest. 

"Jungkook, please!" The urgency in Taehyung's voice became even greater. "Don't!" 

"I'm tired." Jungkook's eyes were almost closed. 

"Don't you dare!" Taehyung's voice was extremely hoarse, almost as if he was trying not to cry. "You have to obey me! I have told you not to go." 

"I'm" Another mouthful was spat out. "sorry." 

"Jungkook, please." Taehyung tried to shake him awake, but Jungkook's eyes were almost closed again. "Please, stay with me." 

It was painful. It truly was. Jungkook wanted to stay. Wanted to love that man until the end of time. Wanted to be by his side. But he wasn't given the chance. He tried to stay. He tried to make him like him back, be with him. But Jungkook could only feel the sadness of not being able to be by Taehyung's side longer. He  _ truly _ wanted to. 

He felt a light touch on his forehead and his eyes opened just enough for him to see Taehyung close to his face. He had just pressed a kiss on his forehead and Jungkook had felt the light touch of his lips. It was truly remarkable that a man like him was doing such a thing, but this was goodbye and they both knew it. There was no need for him to be so distant anymore. Jungkook felt joy. For the first time in a long time he felt true joy and it was because of Taehyung. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he closed his eyes. This time they would not open again. 

\--

"Tae Tae!" The child called him. "Open your mouth!" 

Taehyung was a bit scared that the other child would do something bad to him, so he just parted his lips slightly. That girl always played tricks on him and he did not like it at all. The adults would tell him that she did such things because she liked him, but he always thought that was a lie. If someone liked him, they would be nice to him. He truly disliked her, like most of the other girls that would play with him. Their mothers all worked at the club Min  _ ahjussi _ owned and Taehyung knew exactly what they all were, but it did not stop him from playing with them whenever he was brought there. 

The little girl stepped closer and put a small piece of something in his mouth. As he chewed, he realized it was a piece of chocolate. A faint smile appeared on his face and everyone seemed mesmerized, making him change back into his usual aggressive look. 

"You should smile!" The girl told him. 

"I don't like to!" Taehyung was angry. 

"Why?" 

"Because it's stupid." He growled at the young girl, making her take a few steps back. "Only stupid and weak people smile!" 

The girl had tears in her eyes and it didn't take her long to run back to another room as she bawled. Taehyung was slightly satisfied with himself since he made the annoying girl disappear, but now he was alone again. The other kids had seen what he had done and they all moved out of the room, following the crying young girl. This was normal for him. He did not play with anyone, especially not Min Yoongi. He was a very mean boy and enjoyed hurting Taehyung whenever he felt like it. 

He stood up and strode out of the room. It was still daytime so people weren't working yet. Min  _ ajussi  _ and Yoongi were downstairs talking to the owner of the club. He was a very ugly man and Taehyung hated to look at his face. He had a very big scar on the right side of his face that looked like he had been burned. It was just disgusting. Taehyung hated scars. They reminded him of the ones his mother had. He was slightly happy when she disappeared. He did not have to stare at those hideous marks on her arms again. 

"Taehyung!" A deep voice called him. 

The young boy turned around to see Min  _ ahjussi _ looking at him with a stern face. He looked down at his feet, embarrassed. 

"We are leaving, boy!" 

He followed behind the old man and did not say a single world. Yoongi had already been waiting in the car and he looked angry as always. Taehyung would probably have to endure another silent beating of his due to his mood swings. Tae sighed. 

It didn't take them long to get back to the house and Taehyung did his best to avoid Yoongi and his awful demeanor. He hid in the kitchen and played alone with his little action figure. He liked that toy more than anything else he had, so he hid it in the only place Yoongi never set foot in- the kitchen. He was imagining a whole story in which he was a famous hero and his little toy was his sidekick. They fought crime and walked around the streets of Daegu, where they were recognized and people gave them free food. Just like they did when Taehyung would go out with Min  _ ahjussi _ . 

"Taehyung, baby." The nice  _ noona _ was calling him. "Where are you?"

He liked her a lot because she was always nice to him and gave him sweets whenever he asked. So when she called him, he did not even think twice before getting up and answering her. But the scene in front of him was a bit complicated. She was not alone. One of the men who worked for Min  _ ahjussi  _ was standing beside her. He had a serious face and Taehyung did not like what he saw, making him take a step back. 

"Don't worry, baby." She stepped forward with caution. "Mr. Min wants to talk to you."

"Talk?" Taehyung was curious. 

"Yes, baby." She finally reached him and put a small piece of candy in his hand. "Everyone was looking for you, so I helped them because I knew you would be here." 

Her smile was so bright and beautiful. Taehyung loved looking at it because he knew it was real. But he never smiled back at her. Min  _ ahjussi _ had told him to not do such a thing and he obeyed that man like his life depended on it. Taehyung bowed to the  _ noona _ , thanking her for the sweet. She walked alongside him until they reached the man with the serious expression. He hummed and Taehyung looked back at her with a sad look on his face. 

The man and the boy walked to the small house at the back of the Min property. Taehyung did not like that house because there were always people screaming inside it. But this time it was quiet. The elder man opened the door and Tae stepped inside, only to see Old Min sitting in front of a man that was tied to a chair. The man was naked and there was blood everywhere. Taehyung could see that he was still breathing and he felt that was a miracle of some sort. There was indeed a  _ lot _ of blood on the floor.

"Taehyung," Old Min looked at him. "come closer." 

The young boy obeyed and walked toward the older man, still afraid of what was happening. He stood still by the man's side and looked at him with fear on his face. 

"You see this man, Taehyung?" Old Min turned the young boy so he could face the bloody man. 

Taeyung nodded. 

"He did a very bad thing." The old man shook his head. "What do you think we should do to him?"

"Puh-punish him?" Taehyung choked slightly. 

"Exactly." The man patted him on the head. "Such a smart child." 

Taehyung swallowed hard. 

"Can you help me?" Old Min looked at Taehyung, expectantly. 

The young boy nodded and in no time the old man was up and directed Taehyung closer to the tied up man. He was now holding a very big knife. It was probably not as big as it seemed, but in a child's hand it would certainly look bigger and less menacing than in the big hands of an adult. 

"I will teach you how to punish people." 

Taehyung could only stare at the bloody mess in front of him. The smell of blood was overpowering and he felt sick. The old man held his hand and the heavy knife was raised with no difficulty. Taehyung aimed and the elder man helped him push forward. The knife cut into the skin and the tied up men convulsed a few times before he stopped completely. Taehyung noticed that his chest was not moving up and down as before.  _ Dead. _ He looked at the old man and he had a menacing smile on his face. 

"You did such a good job, child!" He seemed extremely pleased. 

That night Taehyung got a box filled with little toys he had been wanting for a long time. This was not an ordinary gift and he got suspicious. Taehyung then understood what had happened. He had done a very bad thing, but he still got very nice gifts. But then again, was it truly bad? When people do bad things, they must be punished. So if Min  _ ahjussi _ felt that person had done a very bad thing, he was probably being punished accordingly. Wasn't he? Taehyung suddenly felt good about himself. He had helped Old Min with something that he did not even trust Yoongi to do. He felt special. He felt cared for by someone. That night he slept with all his new toys in his bed.


	26. DARLING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Taehyung was staring out of the window. He liked gazing into nothing particular, mostly because he did not have to think about anything else. It was a moment when his mind could be at ease, since he did his best to not think about anything else. To not think about _him_ . The day was _fucking_ gloomy and cold. The new year was less than a week away and that was the moment Junmyeon had chosen to act against Namjoon. _Great._

There had been a change of plans due to the latest events, but they would still move forward with their main plan. Taehyung and Seokjin had come to Junmyeon's house to discuss their next moves and decide who would fall first. Seokjin was not happy to hear that Junmyeon wanted to keep Jimin alive. Taehyung was not happy about this either, but Junmyeon was not someone they could easily confront and he did not wish to disclose the reason for such an attitude. Taehyung knew exactly why. He sighed. 

"Taehyung." A deep voice called to him. 

"What do you want?" Taehyung had been in a foul mood for the past days and he was definitely not happy to see Chanyeol. 

"Seokjin-ssi is asking for you." 

"Tell him I will go later." Taehyung did not even bother to look at the other man. 

"You tell him." Chanyeol was pissed. "I'm not you errand boy." 

_Wrong move._

Taehyung was not in the mood for stupid little remarks. He just moved quickly enough so that the other man could not dodge and landed a very strong punch on his face. Chanyeol stumbled to the side and leaned against the wall, staring at Taehyung with fire in his eyes. 

"What the _fuck_ do you think you are doing, you piece of shit?" Chanyeol straightened himself and walked forward, his hands turned into fists. 

"What?" Taehyung had no patience for that asshole, so he just became sarcastic. "Do you want to hit me, Park Chanyeol?" 

"Don't think that I won't." Chanyeol was extremely close and he would certainly try to hit Taehyung. 

"You can try." Taehyung moved out of the way. "But I don't have time for your little show right now." 

Taehyung walked away and left the tall man behind. He did not dislike Chanyeol, not even after their little relationship ended with both of them getting shot. But he did not want to deal with that drama right now. Taehyung went back into the office they had been using as a base camp and he could see that both Junmyeon and Seokjin looked like shit. They _all_ did. They had been dealing with the aftermath of Namjoon's and Jimin's little stunt and that made them have very long nights. 

"Taehyung-ssi." Junmyeon said in a tired voice, but with his usual stupid smile.

"Yes?" Taehyung was not in the mood for formalities. 

"Have Yuto's men been active?" 

"They have killed 12 of our sellers." Chanyeol was back in the room with a small piece of tissue on his lips.

"What is that on your mouth?" Junmyeon was a bit alarmed. 

Chanyeol looked at Taehyung, who had a sarcastic smile on his lips. Seokjin stared at him with a disgusted look on his face, but Tae was used to that look of reproach he always had. Seokjin was a smart and interesting man, but he was as annoying as anyone can be. Always the one who knew everything and the one who looked down on everyone. _Annoying_. 

"They have been entering your territory at night and cleaning out the places near the border." Taehyung changed the subject back. 

"So they have killed 12 of my men and you are all sitting here like this is remotely _acceptable_?" 

"Taehyung has captured their people as well." Chanyeol said in a very annoyed tone. 

"And where are they?" Seokjin asked, unnamused as always. 

"I’d rather not say." Taehyung was being sarcastic and annoying. He was not in the mood for this shit. 

Actually, Taehyung did not remember who was where. The bodies were scattered around the city. Some at the bottom of Han river, others had been buried in some abandoned lot and others he just cut into pieces and sent back to Namjoon and Yuto, piece by piece. Taehyung was not doing this because it was fun, he just needed something to distract himself. He did not want to think about anything else and killing those people gave him an excuse to just think about gruesome ways he would end their lives. 

"Namjoon and Yuto are aware that we have killed their people." Taehyung spoke again.

"How so?" Junmyeon seemed amused. 

"Taehyung has been sending out body parts to them for the past 4 days." Chanyeol rolled his eyes. 

The room was quiet again. The other men did not understand Taehyung's bloodlust, if it could be even called that. They just considered him a mad man who liked to kill people like lives did not matter. Not a single one of those men ever questioned why he would do such a thing. Clearly, they had never dealt with the likes of Min Yoongi and his father. Brutality was in their essence and Taehyung needed to be exactly like them in order to survive those fucked up assholes. 

"We should consider taking proper action." Seokjin was the one who broke the silence.

"I do agree, Seokjin-ssi." Junmyeon spoke calmly. "But this next move will have to be very coordinated." 

Seokjin and Chanyeol hummed. The dead body that went by the name of Oh Sehun was in the room as well, but that man was just a walking corpse. Sometimes Taehyung was not even sure whether he was breathing. He was just sitting in the corner with a small frown, as if he knew something. He was someone Taehyung respected. His way of doing things was remarkably quiet and clean - truly something to praise. Still, he was as silent as a dead body and that gave Taehyung the creeps. Junmyeon certainly had some weird kinks. 

"We have already cut his supply by half, which has practically emptied his clubs as his buyers migrated to the areas controlled by the smaller families." 

Everyone nodded. 

"The next part is under way as we speak. I met with the Commissioner General and the police are now investigating and arresting Namjoon's people. He has lost two areas in Seoul so far and we have absorbed them into our territory."

"He has lost power in the southern region and the last of his clubs are taking a severe blow." Sehun finally spoke. 

"Tell Bae Joo she will take care of that part for now." Junmyeon ordered. 

The southern part of Seoul was known for its clubs. They were not your ordinary electronic music, drugs and alcohol place. Those were the clubs that had the prettiest men and women in town, at your service. The _Ppal Dal_ area was extremely lucrative, since people would pay whatever amount just so they could have sex with those beautiful people. Politicians, artists, idols, famous lawyers and even high rank government officials would disappear into those clubs for the night and spend a lot of money on sex and drugs. 

Junmyeon had never been in control of such a place and his own version of the _Ppal Dal_ was not as lucrative as the original one. Now that the little investigation he had set up with the Seoul Police Commissioner General had caused half of the clubs to close down , Namjoon had backed down and lost control of his precious clubs. Junmyeon had already absorbed most of them and as soon as the investigation was done, he would reopen them under his control. _Clever bastard_ . Still, for the time being, _Yowang_ would manage that part since she was very familiar with such business. And this would also give her the false idea that she was in charge of something. She was not. 

"Namjoon has tried to corner us by coming for the cassinos." Sehun had a dark tone. 

"Yes, he managed to take over the Choi family business." Junymeon was calm.

"He made an agreement with Choi San?" Seokjin asked with confusion in his tone and Tae just thought how _stupid_ he could be sometimes.

"He killed the entire Choi family." Taehyung rolled his eyes. 

"Indeed he has." Junmyeon sighed. 

"But they were under _your_ protection." Seokjin was clearly uncomfortable. 

"We all have to make sacrifices in order to win bigger battles, Seokjin-ssi." 

"Me and Chanyeol ambushed them and Namjoon took the bait." Taehyung was annoyed.

"And now he has the illusion that we have been weakened by his attack." Junmyeon was smiling again. 

_Annoying fuck._

"Taehyung-ssi." Junmyeon called him. "You and Chanyeol will deal with the last bit of Yuto's men in my territory tonight." 

Taehyung just nodded. He knew he would have to play by Chanyeol's little book of rules and could not just vent his anger properly. He would have to be a _thoughtful_ killer. Tae found that pathetic. Being a killer for a criminal did not give you the right to be a _nice_ person to those you were meant to kill. Still, Park Chanyeol seemed to think so. The fact that him and Taehyung worked in the same line of business was truly ridiculous. One with a moral compass and the other just a bad person. 

\--

It was already night time and Taehyung was standing outside the house staring into nothing in particular. The cold was biting into his skin. Taehyung didn't really mind that his skin was getting burned by the cold wind, he just wanted to stand in the silence for a while. He wanted to keep his mind blank and not think about that night. Not think about all the blood and how he just closed his eyes like he could do such a thing. Taehyung was still a _mess_. 

"Move." Chanyeol had his _polite_ attitude on again.

"Where are we going first?" Taehyung walked up to Chanyeol's car. 

"I've set a meeting." 

"With?" Tae felt curious for a second, but did not let the other man notice. 

"One of Yuto's men." 

"And why the _fuck_ would he agree to meet us?" Taehyung was annoyed. 

"Because I said we wanted to work for Yuto." 

"Is this person an _idiot_?" 

"No." Chanyeol started the car, angrily. 

"If I don't get to kill someone today, I will kill you." Taehyung put on his seatbelt. 

No one in their right mind would ever consider the possibility of someone like Park Chanyeol changing sides. Taehyung knew that a _lot_ of people had tried. Hell, _he_ even tried and was pretty close to accomplishing it. But then there was the whole shoot out debacle and Taehyung and Chanyeol were no longer together. He still had the scar from the bullet and he would look at it from time to time. It was a miracle he did not die. 

Tae considered that stupid night one of the worst of his life. Not because of Chanyeol shooting him in the stomach. That was bad. But it just made him think how he lost someone who cared about him. It was not much- Chanyeol was not like that. But even a little was a lot for someone like Taehyung. 

They had been lying in bed naked for the whole day. Sometimes they would just talk and then would have sex again. This was their routine whenever Taehyung came to Seoul. Chanyeol was a very good lover indeed, brutal and intense in the perfect dosage. Taehyung had been trying to make him stay there and not look at his phone for some time. All because Tae had killed two of Junmyeon's informants the night before and he would certainly have to deal with the aftermath. Chanyeol was not the _understanding_ kind of person.

Chanyeol had made him promise he would not touch Suho's people and Taehyung had said yes. He had promised open heartdely to not fuck with anyone under Junmyeon's protection. The whole problem began when Yoongi ordered him to kill those two people and collect what they were carrying. They had police documents that were extremely interesting and Yoongi needed them, so Taehyung did what he did best. Tortured, murdered those two men and got what he needed from them. 

He looked at the floor and saw the small folder he had thrown on the ground alongside his clothes. _The documents_. When Taehyung looked back, Chanyeol had his gun pointed at him. Truly, a naked man pointing a gun at him like that was a very erotic sight. But he knew things had just taken a very bad turn and he would need to do something about it. 

In the end, Taehyung tried to talk with Chanyeol, to no avail. He knew he had hurt the other man. But Chanyeol shot him in the stomach and Tae fell backwards onto the ground. He picked the files under his clothes and reached for his gun. He shot Chanyeol back and the other man fell to the ground, unconscious. Tae felt bad about it, he truly did. But he had to finish his job. Somehow he managed to put on his clothes and left, bleeding profusely. He had stolen Chanyeol's keys and used his car to drive back to the place where him and Yoongi were staying. 

He managed to pull out the bullet and stitched his wound poorly before he passed out on the floor. Taehyung woke up hours later, blood on the floor, head spinning and the folder lying on the opposite side of the bedroom. Still, he was alive. After that, it took him a couple of years to stand in the same room as Chanyeol and he was actually a bit hurt by it. Especially when he found out that man had moved on and was now fucking some midget that did the books for Junmyeon, Byun Baekhyun. 

The tall man growled and took Taehyung out of memory lane. 

"What?" He asked in an annoyed tone. 

"Shitty driver." Chanyeol hissed. 

"Where are we meeting this idiot?" 

" _Gukkyong_."

"Was this stupid idea yours or the idiot's?" Taehyung was incredibly mad right now.

"Are you trying to die before we even get there?" 

"I'd love to see you try, Chanyeol-ah." Sarcasm was Taehyung's favorite language. 

"This time I will not make the same mistake as last time." 

"So you will have the decency of shooting me with my clothes on?"

Chanyeol growled at the smug answer. Pissing off that man was the easiest thing in the world. Chanyeol had a very short temper and Tae did not mind it most times, but he would always use that in his favor whenever he wanted to make him angry. _So easy._

They arrived at that stupid restaurant and all Taehyung wanted to do was hit Chanyeol in the face again. His lip was still swollen and it was slightly cute. Taehyung shook his head, almost reprimanding himself for thinking that. He looked around and sighed. It was almost hilarious that the neutral zone in the middle of the two main zones was a restaurant called _Gukkyong_. It was a disgusting little place and Taehyung hated it with all his might, still he didn't say a word. Chanyeol parked the car across the street. 

"He's the one sitting by the window." Chanyeol announced.

Taehyung looked around for a second.

"There are two cars." He hissed. "One has people in it." 

"How many?" Chanyeol whispered. 

"About 5 or 6." Taehyung clicked his tongue. "Can't be sure." 

They continued walking towards the restaurant, Taehyung was still scanning his surroundings. They could not shoot or kill people in this area, so he was trying to figure out what could be done to get rid of those other people. Maybe he would just quietly kill them there and avoid the headache. Or maybe the headache from dealing with the aftermath of killing people in the neutral zone would be even worse. _Fuck it_. 

As soon as they entered, the man stood up. He did look like an idiot and he probably was. Taehyung was mad. They were probably going to be ambushed at some point and he would have to deal with bullets flying all around. Chanyeol could be a very stupid dick sometimes and this whole thing just screamed shitstorm. 

"Taehyung-san, Chanyeol-san." The man had a heavy accent. "What a pleasure." 

"Hayato-ssi." Chanyeol bowed slightly, while Taehyung didn't even bother to acknowledge the other man. The empty restaurant was eerie. 

"Please sit." He gestured at the table to his side. "Let's drink something warm while we talk."

"I’d rather not taint my palate with the dirty water they serve here." Taehyung had his smile back on. 

The three men sat down and all Taehyung wanted to do was to put a bullet on that man's head. His face was annoying, his voice was annoying and his fake niceness was annoying. Just one bullet would be enough. He would shut up and Tae could go back to doing more interesting things than to be ambushed in a _shitty_ restaurant. 

"I hear you have information you wish to share." Hayato spoke in that heavy accent again. 

"We do." Chanyeol answered flatly. 

"And what would that be?" 

"Are we supposed to just give you information without a single form of agreement?" Taehyung had his smile back and raised an eyebrow. "Do you take us for incompetent idiots, Hayato-ssi?" 

"Of course not." His snake like smile was extremely annoying. "I am quite aware of how competent you both are, Taehyung-san." 

"So what do you propose?" Taehyung smiled back at him, blinking his eyes a couple of times. 

_Just one bullet._

"You would be under Yuto-san's protection and he will be taking care of Seoul alongside Namjoon-san." 

"Oh," Chanyeol had that amused tone of his, it was truly sexy. "Will he?"

"Of course, he will." Hayato was smiling brightly. "Now that Namjoon-san is the one and only heir to the Seoul throne, there won't be much Junmyeon-san can do, will there?" 

Taehyung's blood was boiling. _One and only_. Everyone knew that this was the truth and Taehyung was aware of it too, but it still hurt like a bitch. Those eyes closing came back to his mind and he did not even think before he pulled out his gun and pointed at Hayato's face. 

"Darling." This motherfucker had just signed his death certificate. "Here's the problem, a shitty boss like Yuto Nakamoto and a little whiny _bitch_ like Kim Namjoon will _never_ rule a city like Seoul." 

Chanyeol sighed. 

"So instead of trying to get me and my tall friend here killed, you should be back at _Ppal Dal_ on your knees sucking someone's cock. Because I am sure this is more suited to your mouth than to speak such stupid words." 

"Taehyung-san..." 

Taehyung had enough of his annoying voice and shot the man dead, with a bullet between his eyebrows. _Just one bullet_. His head was blown up, making little pieces of skull and brain fly everywhere. His head dropped down and hit the table loudly, blood spilling everywhere. The restaurant was empty and there were only them and the workers inside. Everyone was a bit confused by what had just happened, but not scared. This was an area controlled by one of the families and this place had been designated as the neutral area a long time ago. Taehyung had just fucked up big time and those people knew it. 

"I think you two should leave." A middle-aged woman warned them. 

The two stood up and Taehyung could see the angry look on Chanyeol's face. 

"Now what, you stupid cunt?" He hissed. 

"No idea." Taehyung laughed. "We will figure it out later."

Chanyeol stared at him and Taehyung knew what was going to happen. The tall man punched him hard and he fell to the ground, still laughing. Chanyeol walked past him and back out to the cold street. Taehyung got up and followed the other man out. The cars that had once been parked outside were no longer there and they knew that they had gone to report back. _Shit._ They had to go back to angel town as soon as possible. 

Chanyeol's phone rang and he answered. 

_"Yes, sir."_ He answered angrily. 

Chanyeol looked at Taehyung. 

_"He has."_

Taehyung knew that the stupid thing he had just done had somehow already reached Junmyeon and things would get even worse from now on. Maybe Chanyeol and Sehun would beat the shit out of him. Killing him seemed a bit extreme, but inflicting pain was something Junmyeon liked a lot. Chanyeol suddenly looked around before answering whatever Junmyeon had said. 

_"We are on our way back."_ His tone was a bit different, which made Taehyung suspicious. 

The call ended and Chanyeol sighed loudly. Something was off. Taehyung touched his bruised cheek and felt a slight pain. It was not broken, but it was going to hurt like a bitch when the adrenaline wore off. 

"What?" Taehyung asked, trying to remain. 

"We have to head back." 

"I will kill you too if you don't say what the fuck is going on." He was seriously mad and the calm tone was gone. 

"You just shot someone in fucking _neutral_ territory and you don't think that is a good enough reason for us to get the fuck out of here?" Chanyeol growled back. 

"I know you, Park Chanyeol." Taehyung had his threatening tone. "You’d better start speaking." 

Taehyung knew he was in no position to demand anything, but still something smelled weird. He knew Chanyeol would not act like that if something important had not happened. He was not good at hiding his emotions and so Taehyung could see through him quite easily. This was bad and he knew it. This looked as if it didn't have anything to do with the dead man inside the restaurant. Taehyung looked back to see a young boy cleaning the bloody mess. It was almost laughable.

"Taehyung," Chanyeol was pissed. "Get in or I swear I will shoot you." 

They were both staring at each other, daggers and sparks flying everywhere. But in the end they both got into the car, silently. Taehyung was ready to beat Chanyeol with all he had and in the end he would definitely shoot him. He was angry. _Very_ angry. Tae pulled out his gun and pointed it at Chanyeol's head, he had every intention of shooting. 

"Speak, you dick!" He demanded. 

"Lower that thing," Chanyeol hissed as he looked at the road in front of him. "I seriously suggest you stop your little show. I'm starting to get angry."

"Tough shit." Taehyung growled. "I have shot you before and I will shoot you again." 

Chanyeol turned to face him when they hit a red light. 

"Go ahead." He leaned his forehead against the muzzle. "Shoot." 

The gun still had it's safety lock on, so he could not actually shoot Chanyeol right now and the other man was driving, so shooting him was not a very good idea. Taehyung put his gun down and clicked his tongue as he looked at the other man. 

"Maybe I should have shot you in the head that time." Taehyung had a smile on the corner of his lips. 

"I should have shot your dick off, you prick." Chanyeol's eyes were back on the road.

They did not say much on their way back, but Taehyung was still angry. That _asshole_ had made his blood boil and he lost his temper. He knew he was in the wrong, but he would not let people talk like that. Not about _him_ . He felt even angrier when he called that person _"darling"_. He did not want to say such a thing but Chanyeol was there and he knew that was Taehyung's trademark whenever he wanted to humiliate someone. He would have smelled something if the word was not mentioned at least once. Chanyeol was not even an inch stupid. He was extremely smart and Taehyung always had a difficult time going around him. 

The house was still brightly lit when they arrived, even though it was quite late. Junmyeon was probably waiting for the two men to arrive and Seokjin would also be with him. This would be annoying to deal with. They walked inside, escaping the cold and went straight to the office. Junmyeon was sitting on the edge of his desk, grim look on his face. Seokjin was nowhere to be found. _Shit_. Taehyung stopped in front of the desk. Chanyeol went to stand by the corner. 

"Well," Junmyeon walked towards Taehyung. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" 

"I am sorry." Taehyung answered flatly. 

A punch landed on his face. Junmyeon always wore a few rings so Taehyung knew his face had been cut. His cheek was already bruised and now it was going to be even worse. Still, he stood his ground, not moving an inch. He knew he deserved this and much more, so he was just waiting for the rest of it. 

"Your little act has caused me a big headache." Junmyeon was sitting back on his desk. "What is your solution?" 

"I have none." His tone was still flat. 

"Of course, you don't." Junmyeon was extremely sarcastic. "You are just an _idiot_ , right?" 

Taehyung was not going to answer, even though he truly wanted to. 

"Chanyeol," Junmyeon turned to the other man. "Your gun, please." 

_Shit._

Chanyeol handed his gun to Junmyeon and Taehyung knew this would hurt. He knew they would not kill him, not right now. But he could shoot him somewhere he would feel excruciating pain and think twice before he shot some man in the head in a restaurant in neutral territory. Might as well accept his fate. 

Junmyeon was not fond of wasting time, even though he was very annoying when he talked. Always so prolix and obnoxious. But when it came to acting, that man was fast as a snake and indeed things happened fast. Taehyung was on the ground and Junmyeon had shot his leg. It hurt like a bitch and he groaned at the pain, but did not say nor do anything. He knew he deserved it. The other man looked at him as he crouched. 

"The only reason you are alive right now is because you are useful." He smiled. "As soon as this is over, I will make sure to blow a hole in your pretty little head myself." 

_Cunt._

The corpse Oh Sehun opened the door and Junmyeon stood up again to look at him. Taehyung was fully aware that those two fucked. What must it feel like to fuck a corpse? Or maybe the dead body did the fucking. _Non important_ . The pain was getting worse and Taehyung knew he had no time to think about those two assholes’ sex life right now. He shook his head, focusing back on his wound. _Shit_. The pain was beginning to burn. 

"Sehun-ssi," Junmyeon sneered. "Tell me you have good news." 

"Yes, sir." The corpse bowed. 

Junmyeon smiled again and began to walk towards the door, Chanyeol followed behind. Taehyung began to try to sit down so he could see the damage of the shot. _Fuck_. There was a lot of blood on the floor and on him. This probably meant he would have to stitch the wound as soon as possible and it would hurt a lot. 

"By the way, Kim Taehyung." Junmyeon was not facing him as he spoke. "He is _awake_."


	27. PLAN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Taehyung's mind spun twice as he heard that last word.  _ Awake _ . It had been days since everything had happened and the last time he had seen those eyes open. Every single feeling he had stored inside of him suddenly blew up and Taehyung was slightly breathless.  _ Awake _ . He wanted to stand up and ask  _ where _ he was. He needed to know  _ how _ he was. But that was not a possibility. Taehyung needed to remain silent and still. Junmyeon could never see his weakness, nor could Chanyeol or Sehun. No one could know that the evil and sadistic Kim Taehyung actually had some sort of humanity in him. 

He waited for the doors to close again to stand up and try to move. The pain was annoying and it made walking very painful. Still Taehyung managed to reach the kitchen. There was not much he could do in a moment like this apart from removing the bullet and trying to stop the bleeding somehow. The kitchen would probably have the utensils he needed. He limped around grabbing a very expensive bottle of vodka from the refrigerator. There was a cheaper one standing by its side, but Taehyung was not going to use some low grade shit on his skin. And he also wanted to mess with Junmyeon.  _ So petty _ . 

He found some tongs inside the drawer and picked up a rag from the cabinet. This would be his little wound mending session and he knew it would hurt like a motherfucker. Taehyung was seriously enraged at Junmyeon at this point. He picked up the vodka and poured it on the wound. It stung and he screamed internally.  _ MOTHERFUCKER _ . Then it was time for the small tongs. They were not small enough so he would have to dig around to make the wound bigger in order to make them fit.  _ FUCK. SHIT. FUCK. _ The tongs pushed the skin apart and made their way into his body, he pinched around a couple of times until he felt the bullet debris. 

The pain was maddening and Taehyung really wanted to scream out loud. He had been leaning against the kitchen bench and his fingers were almost digging into the marble. It was  _ fucking _ painful. He pulled out the biggest piece and ignored the fact that there might be other smaller pieces inside.  _ MOTHERFUCKER _ . He would deal with that later. Taehyung poured more vodka on the wound, biting into his lips as the cold liquid made contact with the exposed flesh.  _ SON OF A FUCKING BITCH _ . He made a bandage with the white rag and tied it as tight as he could.  _ FUCK. _

Taehyung was breathless due to the whole ordeal, but he now had to leave. This was fucking Seoul, so he did not have his car with him. He could not walk around after being shot by the house owner and ask for a car. They were merely using each other and Junmyeon had made it clear that the expiration date of such agreement was close. No one in that house would just give him something so stealing was the only option. 

The first option would be Chanyeol’s, but he was probably with his car keys and they would have a very intense fight. Taehyung was in bad shape so winning was not something he was sure of. Being shot and beaten up in the same night was  _ not _ something he wanted to experience. The second and safest choice would be to steal the keys from one of Junmyeon's security guards. They were not as big of a threat as Chanyeol so they became the first option. 

He limped to the front of the house, trying to avoid the staff as much as he could. Some people just saw him and felt confused. He would feel too if he saw a man limping around his house with a bloody rag tied to his leg. It was not a very pleasant sight, especially because Taehyung was pissed. He knew his face was just an inch from murderous. Limping bloody man with an angry face. He would certainly kill such a person. 

Taehyung made his way outside and could see that there were two security guards on the property. One was fat and the other one was relatively thin. The fat fuck would be a better option. He could just shoot both men, but he would then alert the whole house.  _ Bad idea _ . He limped around and approached them from behind. There was not really a way for him to get rid of the slender security guard, so he would just hit him first and then turn to the fatty. He pulled out his gun and grabbed the handle in a way he could use it to hit the crony's neck. He would pass out and the fatty would not have time to do something before Taehyung grabbed him. 

He approached both men, using all his strength to not scream from the pain and then everything went to shit. His leg burned and he, unfortunately, let out a small growl. The fatty had apparently supersonic hearing because he turned around as soon as he heard the noise, only to see Taehyung crouching and smiling at him. This was  _ annoying. _ He ignored the pain in his leg and lunged at the fat guy. No point in sparing his life. Taehyung went for his neck and turned him around, the cracking sound was a bit louder than expected. The slim guy already had his gun pointed at Taehyung and he did not want to get shot again in the same night. 

"Ok." He sighed. "Don't shoot." 

"Stay still!" The thin guy spoke. His voice was awfully high pitched. 

"I'll let you live if you give me the car keys." Taehyung was smiling and this was probably extremely creepy. The guy seemed disgusted. 

"I said stay fucking  _ still _ !" He was beginning to scream. 

Taehyung had honestly tried, but the man did not want to cooperate. He was  _ not _ in the mood for this shit. The guy was fast and Taehyung was having a bit of a hard time fighting him. At least he was able to disarm him first. The gun was lying on the ground and every chance he got, the man tried to reach it. Taehyung finally got his chance when the man managed to grab the gun. Tae was faster and grabbed him by the neck, snapping it with a bit of trouble. Still, they were both dead.  _ Good _ . 

He searched the dead bodies and managed to find a car key. He pressed the unlock button and a car on the other side of the lot beeped.  _ Finally. _ He limped hurriedly to the car and got in as fast as he could. His blood had already drenched the whole cloth and this was bad. He needed to reach the shitty doctor. Taehyung certainly needed that crazy old man. He was not an actual doctor- he was just a veterinarian who dabbled in medicine. It was good enough. The only problem was that he was in Namjoon's territory. This would certainly be annoying as fuck. Thank god for tinted windows. 

Driving was as difficult as he could expect, the pain growing stronger. Taehyung finally managed to arrive at the vet and find that weird doctor. He had been working with  _ kkangpae _ members for a long time, so his office was usually open at the most bizarre hours of the night. The entrance was around the back and Taehyung limped around, hoping the man would be able to close that painful wound. 

The crazy old man was smoking a cigarette outside and pulled his gun when he saw someone approaching. 

"Put that fucking thing  _ down _ ." Taehyung growled. "I need stitches."

He was also a bit blind and that made him very unreliable. Yet he was the only person Taehyung had in Seoul. 

"What are you doing here?" The old man exhaled a cloud of smoke. 

"Blind and deaf." Taehyung was finally standing by the other man. "Very useful indeed." 

The old man put out his cigarette and headed back inside. Taehyung followed behind. 

After a very intense session of stitches in which the old man missed the spot three times in a row, Taehyung was exhausted. He had all the small pieces pulled out. The old man cut out the dead skin and then sewed it all up without any form of anesthesia or alcohol. This was extremely maddening. 

"You know, kid." The old men lit another cigarette. "People are talking about you."

"About me?" 

"Yes, how a two faced pretty boy is helping the pretty guy in angel town." 

"Two faced." Taehyung laughed. "Cute." 

"All I know is that there is a new player for the throne." 

"There is?" Taehyung was sarcastic. "Thought you only shared reliable information." 

"I share information." He laughed, but it was more of a cough. "It's up to the listener to believe it or not." 

"So I am to believe there is a new boss in town that no one has ever seen?" Taehyung could lie like few people could. 

"Haven't you?" The old man coughed again. Or maybe laughed. Taehyung was not sure.

"Ok." Taehyung scoffed. "Say I believe you. Who is the guy?" 

"Some pretty boy." The old man lit another cigarette. 

" _ Some pretty boy _ ?" Taehyung scoffed again. "That doesn't seem like someone who can own Seoul." 

"Well," The old man almost died coughing but managed to survive somehow. "Never said he was the best option." 

Taehyung rolled his eyes and stepped out of the surgery bed. His leg was still hurting, but it was much better than before. He stared at the old man again. Taehyung knew this man was into something and the city was already gossiping about shit they knew nothing about. The gossip was bad and it had probably already reached Junmyeon and his posse. He had been doing things on his own and with the whole kidnapping story, he became the one that would replace Namjoon. Wasn't that the  _ perfect _ ending? Now that he had woken up, things would change and Taehyung knew that Suho would not let go so easily. 

Tae knew that motherfucker would probably go out of his way to make sure he became the sole king of Seoul and South Korea. He had to do something about it. Taehyung opened the door and the cold was not the only thing that made him mad. Choi Min Ho was standing outside and he knew what that meant. The annoying prick was staring at him with a serious look on his face. Did he ever smile? 

"And what do I owe the pleasure, Min Ho-ssi?" Taehyung was pissed, so sarcasm was the only thing he could do. 

"Get in." Min Ho was not a man of many words. 

_ I will kill this sad fuck. _

Taehyung was definitely  _ not _ in the mood for this. He had been shot, beaten and stitched by a half blind veterinarian. The night had  _ not _ been a good one. And now he had to deal with this asshole thinking that he was all high and mighty and could do whatever he wanted.  _ I will kill this sad fuck. _ Taehyung had reached his own limit and this night was now going to turn into one in which he would vent out his anger. 

"You could at least say please." Taehyung laughed. 

"Don't push it." Min Ho walked to the car door. "Move." 

_ I will kill this sad fuck. _

Tae did take his time to get into the car. The more annoyed the other man got, the better. Min Ho drove off and Taehyung knew this was some stupid atempt to capture him and maybe torture him for information. _Stupid fuck_. Taehyung was in a foul mood and this was adding fuel to the fire. This man was going to feel pain. A  _ lot  _ of pain. 

Min Ho drove for a bit and Taehyung did not take off his smile from his lips. The other man was always in such a serious demeanor that it was almost comical. When they hit a smaller street, Tae knew it was probably the time to act. He slowly pulled out his pocket knife and opened it against his thigh. The other man did not seem to notice the movement and continued to drive into the night. 

"Fuck!" Min Ho screamed when Taehyung stabbed him on the thigh. 

He then grabbed the man's head and hit it against the steering wheel a few times. Min Ho was strong and maybe stronger than Taehyung but pain and anger were very useful in making him a bit stronger than the other man. The car swerved along the street but Taehyung managed to control the steering wheel. There was blood all over Min Ho's face and he was a bit out. Not completely passed out, but enough for Taehyung to handle him. Stopping the car was the hardest thing, but Taehyung managed to do it. Even though he hit a few cars in the process, setting off their alarm. 

He pushed Min Ho to the passenger side and began to drive to a place he knew he could do what he wanted. When they finally arrived at the abandoned apartment complex, Taehyung hoped the man would have some tools in his car. Just something he could use to cause some damage and luckily, there was. It was a small duffle bag with a few utensils that he had left in the trunk.  _ Good _ . 

The second floor would be more than enough, so he supported the other man up the stairs and got into one of the rooms he had used before in his little killing affairs. He threw the bag on the floor and tied Min Ho to one of the crappy chairs. Once everything was set, he opened the bag and selected what he would use. There was no scalp or the drugs he normally used, so he would have to make do with the knives and other tools. There was also a hammer and some pliers.  _ No class at all _ . Taehyung rolled his eyes.

"Rise and shine, darling." Taehyung slapped Min Ho's face a couple of times as he looked down at the other man. 

"What the fuck, Kim Taehyung!" Min Ho was screaming and Tae  _ hated _ when people screamed, so he slapped the man's face hard. 

"Please," Taehyung sighed. "Don't scream." 

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Min Ho was still pissed. 

"Well, darling." Taehyung crouched in front of the chair. "I've been having a  _ pretty _ shitty night and then you show up to make it even shittier. Am I wrong to want to kill you?"

"You are making a  _ big _ mistake." 

"Am I?" Taehyung was unamused. "The only person that cares about you is Ryeowook and I don't see him coming after me. If you disappear, Namjoon won't really make a fuss. You are quite useless really." 

Min Ho growled. 

"You really deserve this." Taehyung grabbed one of the knives and played with it. "You chose a  _ very _ bad night to try to fuck with me." 

"You psychotic fuck!" 

"I am, ain't I?" Taehyung laughed and then stabbed Min Ho on the thigh, making the man growl. "And I  _ love _ being one." He took the knife out and dropped it back on the ground. 

Stabbing wasn't fun at all. Taehyung liked to inflict pain, but not in a superficial way. Pain had to go deep  _ into _ the person. The flesh was just a carcass, it did not matter much. But when the pain reaches your bones, that's when things get interesting. Taehyung did not have his tools, so he was going to have to be creative.  _ The hammer. _

"Open wide, darling." Taehyung sat on the man's lap and forced his mouth open. 

This was going to be nasty but it actually seemed like it could be fun. He had thought of a lot of uses for that hammer, but it crossed his mind the idea of using it to maybe pull out teeth. That would be interesting. He grabbed the handle and turned the object upside down so that the tooth would fit in the claw. He positioned it closely and turned strongly. A tooth flew on the ground and Min Ho screamed. Maybe the whole teeth pulling was not a great idea. There would be a lot of noise.  _ Annoying _ . 

He positioned the hammer a second time and turned again. One more tooth fell out. The man was almost choking on his own blood, so Taehyung dropped his head and made the blood pour out.  _ Gross _ . The men continued screaming as Tae pulled out a few more teeth before he had had enough. The screaming was extremely annoying. 

"Ok." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "No need for screaming." 

"Fou fufer." Min Ho tried saying while he spat out more blood. 

_ Gross _ .

"Sorry," Taehyung smiled. "I can't understand what you are saying." 

Tae got up from the man's lap and looked back at the bag on the ground. There was nothing really interesting inside, just a few useless tools that any moron could use to cut some fingers and break some bones. Very ordinary and pathetic. People really did not care about the art of inflicting pain. They just wanted to vent out their own frustration and get the job done as quickly as possible. Not that Taehyung was doing this for any other reason than venting out his own anger. Yet people were so  _ simple _ . 

He picked up the plier and walked around the tied up man, facing his back. If he was going to do this the moronic way, might as well cliché it up. 

"You know, Min Ho." Taehyung cleared his throat. "This little affair has nothing to do with you. You just caught me on a bad night." 

Taehyung sighed. 

"I'm really not in the mood for making you suffer as much as I made Jackson Wang or even your old boss, remember him? So you can say you are lucky." 

"Fuf fou." Min Ho coughed more blood. 

"Oh, darling." Taehyung half laughed. "I'm being a good guy." 

He pinched one fingernail with the plier and the man groaned. 

"I just find it funny that you took your precious little time to come after me just because Namjoon told you to." 

He pressed it hard and pulled, making the nail come off. The man cried out. 

"It truly is remarkable that someone like you would obey a sad  _ fuck _ like him. You are smarter than that, Min Ho. I _know_ you are." 

Taehyung pinched another nail.

"So this got me thinking." He pulled hard again, pulling out yet another nail. "It doesn't make sense for you to obey Namjoon like that. Not after the whole  _ Ppal Dal _ situation and him losing territory to Junmyeon." 

The man was wheezing from the pain. 

"Especially when Ryewook's main source of income comes from those disgusting little whore houses of his." 

Another nail was pinched and pulled out. The man wheezing even more. 

"So let's think together." Taehyung was humming. "Your boss profits from sex. Junmyeon is now the main owner of  _ Ppal Dal _ and has the support of the  _ Yowang _ of Daegu, who provides the material for  _ Ppal Dal _ ."

Taehyung stepped back in front of the man. He knew he had his little psychotic smile on his lips. He was proud of himself.  _ Hell _ , he was mesmerized by his own intelligence.  _ Kim Taehyung is so fucking awesome. _ He wished he had an audience for his little performance, just so they could see how no one could ever fucking touch him. He was a step ahead of every single person in this lame little game and they all took him for a dog who obeyed their orders. Oh, those poor idiots. Taehyung would kill all of them. One by one. Piece by piece. They would all fall to his feet. 

"So now that we understand this." He paced around. "Let's think about  who _actually_ told you to come and get me." 

He stopped and looked at the bag.  _ Knives _ . He preferred scalps, but he did not have any. This would have to do. He dropped the blood pliers and picked up one of the black and silver knives inside the bag. He walked up to the man and sat on his lap again. Psychotic smile shining bright. 

"You and your weak little boss are under Namjoon's command. You do what he tells you to." He slid the blade across Min Ho's face. "But your two faced ass is actually working for Junmyeon."

Taehyung could see defeat written all over the man's face. He knew he was not going to get out of that room alive and he knew that Taehyung had caught up with their little scheme, so there was no point denying. This was too satisfactory. The taste of victory was always the most pleasant one. 

"Anf?" Min Ho speaking without his front teeth was quite funny actually. 

"And?" Taehyung used the knife again, this time actually drawing blood from the man's cheek. "I really find it funny that you think I gain nothing from this." 

The right cheek was already bleeding and it was now time for the left cheek. 

"Your little boss is just a little puppet in this game." Taehyung laughed. "The problem is, all of you seem to think you run this show when actually I am the one pulling the strings."

He picked up the knife and stabbed the man's right eye, making him scream with all he had. It was really a painful thing and the screaming was annoying. But it was  _ fun _ . It was truly remarkable the amount of pain this man could endure. Still, Taehyung was not going to let him live much longer. 

"You think that sending body parts was all I could do?" Taehyung stood up again, watching the man contort himself. "Let me tell you a little secret. I have been playing this two faced game for  _ years. _ " 

The man was wheezing hard and Taehyung knew he was not going to last long. 

"While you entered this shit show now, I've been here for a very long time." Taehyung clicked his tongue. "A Busan accent is not hard to fake, especially when you are from Daegu. And making drugs disappear is very easy. Yuto was more than happy to receive the grade A shit that was meant for the others."

Taehyung was laughing out loud. Min Ho stared at him. If there wasn't so much blood, you would actually be able to see shock on his face. 

"Yes, Choi Min Ho." Taehyung laughed even more. "It was all me! Remember the kid that said the man had a Busan accent? I gave him to you. He told you what I wanted you to hear."

Min Ho coughed blood again. 

"The star was even easier. I just made sure it changed hands as much as possible and in the end none of those  _ fuckers _ even touched the real thing."

Min Ho was almost passing out, so the little show had to end soon. 

"And the real heir? The bastard who is not a bastard? Well, Namjoon is very easy to influence. Just a few moves and words made him bring that stupid kid to Seoul to work for him, just so he could keep an eye on him and eventually get rid of his little brother." 

The other man lifted his head, maybe for the last time. 

"I killed Junmyeon's people, Namjoon's people, Seokjin's people, Yoongi's people and I am going to kill you." Taehyung was almost choking on his own laughter. "I made them fight each other and they have no idea that I am the one who made it all happen. I am the one profiting from it." 

This was just hilarious. 

"Fey," Min Ho was struggling. "filled fhe fid." 

Taehyung's blood boiled again and he pulled out the knife from the eye, making it dangle out of the orbit. The man screamed loudly, almost crying.

_ Crying his eyes out _ .

"They didn't kill him, you  _ fuck _ ." Taehyung sighed. "Jimin was supposed to slightly hurt him, but that fucking  _ cunt _ went too far. I was a bit late and he almost..." Taehyung faltered. "The heir, Jeon Jungkook, is very much alive. And he is  _ mine _ ." 

Taehyung had enough and picked up the hammer again. He just smashed that man's head while he laughed out loud. He was the master of the show. He had been running every  _ fucking _ thing from the shadows this whole time. He made all of them obey him. Namjoon had found out about Jungkook because  _ someone _ left an old diary in a place he would see. It was a fake, but Taehyung knew that  _ idiot _ would fall for it. Indeed it was true, Jungkook was his brother. But he did not know it until he made him aware of it.

Taehyung knew how possessive Jackson was of his little things so the moment he heard him call Jungkook his puppy, he knew Jackson had marked his territory. It was so easy to make him snap. Taehyung lured Jungkook into his private little darkness and that boy followed. He entered it gladly. It was almost perfect.  _ Too _ perfect. Jackson using him for his errands and trusting that boy made it even better. He was so clueless that Taehyung had no problem manipulating him, too. He regretted drugging Jungkook at the bar that day, but it just made it easier to make him come to his side. Making Jackson even more enraged.  _ So easy _ . 

Just a small dose of the love drug made him so horny and uncontrollable. Taehyung actually liked kissing him that time, but he had to make sure he thought it was all a dream. Make him think it was all his desire inside his head. Making him desire Kim Taehyung even more. That kiss was  _ good _ . Jungkook was too good for him and he knew it. Still, he had to continue running the show. He had to push him away. 

That stupid boy. So  _ annoying _ . But his little affair with Jackson made it easier for that man to follow them and it made it even easier for him to kill that motherfucker. Oh, that felt  _ so _ good. He would have to thank Jungkook someday for the pleasure he helped him achieve. Nothing would ever come close to him seeing the light leave Jackson's eyes.  _ Not true _ . Taehyung had to admit that this was second only to sex with Jungkook.  _ That  _ was truly amazing. 

The whole BB ordeal was a complicated one, too. That stupid boy had discovered a few things about what Taehyung had been doing. Nothing major, but it would make Jungkook suspicious of his intentions. So it was time for him to introduce Jungkook to Junmyeon. He killed BB with just a small dose of potassium. He did not really suffer. The whole redesign of his face was just to scare Jungkook. Taehyung almost laughed when he remembered how Jungkook threw up when he saw his work of art. The vomit was actually a praise. 

The Gwangju assassination atempt was even better. Yuto sent a lowly man of his that anyone could kill, even Jungkook. The boy did what he was supposed to.  _ Don't let them take you _ . He truly was good at obeying. And Seokjin gave him exactly what he needed.  _ Isn't that your father's knife? _ It only took one sentence to make him do what he had to. Still, Taehyung did not expect that to blow up in his face as it made the boy confess his feelings for him. That was complicated. 

Taehyung ended up being caught up in the web of feelings he created for that boy and things began to get complicated. It was a bit too intense, but he had to keep his distance. He had to make sure that boy did not come any closer; otherwise, he would not be able to control himself. He did not want to control himself, he wanted Jungkook. But the circumstances would never allow for that to happen. 

Jimin and Yoongi were a tricky duo to manipulate. Yoongi had been on Taehyung's grasp for years. Doing whatever he wanted. Jimin was the perfect piece of the puzzle. The brother of Kim Seokjin falling in love with the Daegu boss. It was just  _ perfect _ . He was not that easy to manipulate. Jimin was a smart fuck.  _ Too _ smart for his own good. So Taehyung had to use Yoongi to make that blonde stuck up asshole do what he was supposed to. And he did. He did it  _ beautifully _ .

Everytime Jimin did anything to Jungkook, Seokjin would get even angrier and his will to kill the blonde only became stronger. Of course, he would always know what happened, because Taehyung told him. There was no brotherly love between them so it was even easier to turn one against the other. 

The bar, the drugs, the flowers. It was all  _ so _ good. Jimin was a resentful bitch and Taehyung knew it. He pushed Jungkook towards his own limits and it was a good thing. It was part of the plan. What wasn't part of anything was for him to almost kill Jungkook. That motherfucker just stabbed him like it was nothing. He missed every single vital area, but the fucker still stabbed  _ his _ Jungkook. That was why Taehyung almost killed Junmyeon when he found out that sly motherfucker wanted the information Jimin had and did not allow Tae to kill him. He would have to find a way around that at some point. Jimin  _ would _ die. 

And to top it all up, the Hayato deal. This was a special request of Yuto. Hayato had been stealing from him and working too closely with Namjoon. So Taehyung was given the mission to get the fucker killed. He ended up killing the man himself out of anger. Still, it was just another little thing that was part of the plan. The neutral zone was not neutral for him. Taehyung owned it. The Lee family that ruled over the frontier zone had been under his command ever since he gave them high grade coke for them to sell in their clubs. It made their profit rise like never before. 

The cassino stunt with the Choi family was pretty good for them too. The Lee family was annoyed by the competition and now they did not have to worry about Choi San spoiling their business anymore. Taehyung did that for them, so they owed him. There was nothing he did not own or control at this point. Seoul and South Korea were Taehyung's and they had been for a long time. Everything was under his control.  _ Good. _

Taehyung finally realized he was still smashing the man's skull. Actually, he was just hitting a blob of blood that did not even resemble something human anymore. The head and the neck were all gone. Choi Min Ho was  _ gone _ . This was not really part of the plan, but Taehyung was having a bad night and that man just happened to show up at the wrong time.  _ Fucking Junmyeon _ . Taehyung imagined the surprise on that motherfucker's face when he showed up in his house again. It was going to be  _ hilarious _ . 

Taehyung dropped the hammer on the ground and inhaled deeply. That drug-like scent was back.  _ So good _ . He inhaled a second time and then walked out of the room. He fished out his phone from his pocket and started texting someone. 

_ KTH: Is he awake?  _

_ KS: Yes, sir.  _

_ KTH: He knows what happened? _

_ KS: Yes, sir. _

_ KTH: Has he asked about me? _

_ KS: A few times, sir.  _

_ KTH: Good. Are Junmyeon and Seokjin there? _

_ KS: Yes, sir.  _

_ KTH: Need you to clean up a mess. Will text the address later.  _

_ KS: Yes, sir. _

_ KTH: Also... _

_ KTH: Take Ryeowook out for me.  _

_ KS: Yes, sir.  _

_ KTH: Tell Seokjin I'm on my way. Make sure Chanyeol hears it. _

_ KS: Yes, sir.  _


	28. LIABILITY

Taehyung was a bloody mess. Hitting Min Ho with the hammer and all the cutting had covered him in blood from head to toe. That would not be a good sight for Jungkook. The smell on him was so pungent that Taehyung had to hold his breath. The smell of blood was extremely disgusting and he hated it with every inch of him. Blood is a good thing, but it has a terrible smell. 

He headed downstairs and back into the car. The smell was  _ really _ overpowering. He would have to stop somewhere to clean himself up and he had just the place. Jungkook's apartment. He could go up through the garage and at this time no one would see him. This was a very good plan indeed, but he had to be fast. People would catch up on his little stunt in no time. 

Tae arrived at the apartment building rather quickly. There was no traffic and no one roaming around the building to see the bloody mess he was. He went up to Jungkook's apartment, keyed in the password and let himself in. He probably had no idea, but Taehyung had known that password long before he had even moved there and he had been in that apartment more times than he could count.  _ If only Jungkook knew. _

The place still smelled like him. It was not a specific scent, but it was his. Taehyung got into the bathroom hurriedly and cleaned himself up. He was just hoping Jungkook had left some of his clothes in the apartment. The bloody outfit was not an option anymore. It did not take him long to shower, so now he only had to pick a decent outfit for him. Luckily, Jungkook had a lot of clothes in his apartment. They were good enough. Taehyung picked a suit and put it on. It was almost a perfect fit, but it could have been better if they were his own clothes. The good thing was that now he smelled like Jungkook.  _ Strange _ .

He was back in his car in just a few minutes. The trip down to Junmyeon's safe house would be fast. At this point, he just wanted to relax for a while. Killing had taken its toll on him and even though he would gladly kill all those people right now, he felt he deserved a small break from the craziness. The house was still brightly lit, even though it was the middle of the night. All the fuckers were probably still there and Taehyung would make his  _ triumphant _ comeback in front of all of them. Moments like this made all his troubles worth it. Making those shitheads see him stand bright and beautiful on top of them. 

He parked the damaged car, granting him a few looks from the security guards. He let out a small laugh as he remembered the two security guards he had killed just for that stupid car. There was nothing else he could do apart from entering that house looking like shit - like he had had the worst night possible. It was so hard getting shot and killing people in the same night. He was almost laughing again, but the show had to continue. He put on his tired face and limped into the house, to add more drama to it. 

Seokjin, Junmyeon, Chanyeol and Sehun were standing inside Jungkook's bedroom. Taehyung let out a loud sigh, making people know that he had arrived. They all turned to the door and spotted a very sad looking Taehyung. He wanted to shoot all those people in the head, but he had to control himself from doing so. He just needed to look tired. 

"You're here." Junmyeon said in a soft tone. 

_ Yes, motherfucker. I am. _

"You look like shit." Chanyeol was grinning. 

_ If you weren't this handsome, I would have killed you a long time ago. _

"Had to deal with some personal business." Taehyung spoke in a tired tone. 

"Taehyung!" Jungkook blurted out. 

_ Fuck. _

"What?" Taehyung raised an eyebrow. 

If this man was not bedridden, Taehyung would fuck him hard in front of all those people. Especially his brother. Still, he had to swallow the urge to do anything to him. He had to let all his feelings go back to their little black box and stay there until it was safe for them to come out.  _ That would never happen _ . Taehyung would probably die before that happened or his little game would get that boy killed. This was a bit painful. 

"I thought you..." Jungkook stopped mid sentence.

"Were dead?" Taehyung scoffed. "People will have to try harder." 

This was directed towards Junmyeon and his posse- the handsome tall guy and the corpse. They all had tried  _ very _ hard to kill Taehyung, but had been  _ very _ unsuccessful so far. It was just hilarious to see them try, not knowing their whole little world would collapse if they ever managed to do so.  _ Sad fucks. _ Still, Taehyung was only looking at Jungkook. He was sitting in a hospital bed and had IVs stuck to him. It was not his best look.  _ Naked was _ . 

"You..." Jungkook was looking around, probably trying to convey the idea that people were supposed to leave. 

"Let's go." Seokjin seemed to have gotten the hint. "Let them talk." 

Taehyung rolled his eyes at the remark and turned to Seokjin, fire in his eyes. 

"I will be right out." He looked at Jungkook. "We have business to discuss."

"Fine." Seokjin and his cold tone were funny. 

Taehyung was still staring at Jungkook. He was bubbling with desire, but he had to keep his distance. He knew Jungkook would get hurt if he came too close to his world. To the complete darkness that was Taehyung. Playing around the shadows for a while was okay, entering the full on pitch black world he lived in was completely different. 

"You saved me." Jungkook finally spoke again. 

"You needed saving." Taehyung sighed. 

"How did you know?" Jungkook shifted on the bed, staring intensely at Taehyung. 

"Where you were?" Taehyung moved and sat down on the chair by the bed. " _ Wang _ Min would have killed me long ago if I could not get information when needed."

"You kissed me." Jungkook had that goofy smile of his. "You asked me not to go."

"And?" Taehyung dismissed his comment. 

Of course, he had done so. He could not bear to think his own decisions took his life. He really did not want Jungkook to die. That whole scene scared the shit out of him. When he closed his eyes, Taehyung almost panicked. He could not. No one could know. He really felt miserable after all that. He put Jungkook at risk. That boy could not die, not because of him. 

"Are you still going to pretend that you don't care about me?" 

"Is there anything to care about?" Taehyung was cold again. 

"Stop being a  _ dick _ ." Jungkook hissed. "I almost died." 

"Almost." Taehyung put on his malicious smile he knew Jungkook liked. "That is not actually dying." 

"Thank you." He was soft again. 

"For?" Taehyung knew what he meant, but he wanted to hear him say. He was being petty.

"Saving me." Jungkook looked down. Those puppy eyes always made Taehyung feel bad about all the evil shit he had done to Jungkook. Still, it had to be done as much as he felt like a dick about it. 

"Well." He sighed. "You look like someone who has to be saved by other people." 

'You are  _ such _ a dick." Jungkook hissed again. 

_ I am, baby.  _

Taehyung had just had a very shitty night and all he wanted was that man to do that little thing where he touched him. It was the only person that did not make him feel pain whenever he was touched. It was actually good. He needed that right now. Taehyung stood up again. He walked towards the bed and put his hand next to Jungkook's making the boy flinch. This was not good. He was scared.  _ Fuck _ . He removed his hand. 

"Don't." Jungkook was almost begging. "Leave it here." 

"Do you..." This was pathetic and Taehyung knew it. Still,that boy was important to him. "Want me to touch your hair?" He raised his hand towards his head. 

This was extremely ridiculous, but Jungkook would always feel better whenever he did so. It made him feel better about all the bad shit he did- seeing that boy almost wagging his tail whenever he touched him like that. It was nice to look at. It felt good. The problem with this was that Taehyung was acting. Not entirely, but a part of it was him making sure Jungkook stood by him. In this plan, he depended on that. 

Jungkook nodded and Taehyung began to run his fingers through the dark brown hair.  _ Fuck he is pretty _ . Jungkook always hummed lightly whenever he did this. It was adorable. He would close his eyes and humm a sweet little tune. Taehyung had no idea what he was singing, but it was still nice to hear. It always felt familiar. Like something he had heard so many times before, still he did not know where. Jungkook was cute, Taehyung had to admit it. But he had to admit that once that boy stood too close to him, all of that would disappear. Tae had a bad habit of brushing off on people. They always seemed to die right after.  _ Stupid fucks _ . 

"What is that song?" Taehyung said in a light tone.

"Song?" Jungkook opened his eyes again. "What song?" 

Taehyung did not know if he was faking or if he actually had no idea he did such a thing. It was a bit unnerving. Like Jungkook was purposely faking it. Or maybe Taehyung just had grown used to suspecting people. That boy was not like that. He would not fake this. 

"You hum whenever I do this." 

"I do?" Jungkook sounded confused. 

_ Not faking it. _

"Yes." Taehyung smiled softly. "You do." 

The young man was staring at him again. Those puppy eyes were as threatening as someone pointing a loaded gun at Taehyung. Whenever he looked at them, he knew this man would be his downfall. He would end up throwing everything away just for him and death would come soon. The thing about power is that in order to keep it, you can never actually relax. There can't be a day in which you just sit back and chill while drinking tea. Power attracts death. Power makes people insane and gets you killed. This would get Jungkook killed too, but he was still not sure if this was truly bad.  _ Was it?  _

"Where were you?" Jungkook asked, puppy eyes demanding the truth. 

"Killing people." He did not need to know who it was that he had killed. 

"Why are you limping?" 

"Junmyeon shot me." Taehyung almost wanted to laugh when he thought about it. 

"He what?" Jungkook was surprised. It was adorable. "Why?" 

"Because I fucked up." He had not, but people had to believe he had. 

Jungkook was still looking at him expectantly. He tried to shift in his bed but flinched at the pain. Taehyung knew those wounds would take a long time to heal. And it was painful to watch. He was not supposed to be in such bad shape. The pajamas he had on made it possible to see his bandaged shoulder and Taehyung sighed. He did not mean for it to be audible, but now Jungkook had tilted his head and was staring at him confused. Taehyung could not really do anything anymore. 

"Listen." He sat on the edge of the bed. "This place is not safe for you."

Just a little bit of information to get him going. Nothing much. Just enough. This will make him move. 

"I know." Jungkook sighed.

"No, you don't." A bit too honest, but it was ok. "Staying with me and your brother is not safe. We will make you get hurt like this." 

_ I will hurt you like this. _

And then it all went to  _ shit _ . Jungkook had managed to sit upright, probably ignoring the pain and kissed Taehyung. His hand pulling his collar down as he lied back on the bed.  _ This was bad. _ He knew this was not acceptable, but he could not stop it. Partly because this would make Jungkook remain trusting him and partly because he wanted to.  _ Needed this _ . He had to give him what he wanted, but by doing so he was exposing too much of his own desires. Tae pulled back. 

"Don't be stupid." Taehyung sighed loudly.

"Ok." Jungkook sounded angry. "I am going to say this one last time and you are going to fucking understand it, ok?" Angry was cute, it did not suit him. "I like you and I  _ know _ you like me back." 

"Now you know how I feel?" Taehyung had to be sarcastic. "Can I have your crystal ball?"

"Taehyung." His tone was truly menacing and it took Taehyung aback. "Stop it." 

This was scary. Jungkook never spoke to him like that and Tae always thought it was because he did not have it in him. But this time it was real.  _ Shit. _ This was sentimental talk, but it was late.  _ So fucking late _ . He had had enough for a day. He could have a five minute break. He could let go for those five minutes.  _ Couldn't he?  _

He couldn't. Kim Taehyung could not lose. He was probably going to die soon but if he caved in, death would come even faster. He had been playing this game for a long time and he was tired. Of course he needed a break. There was nothing he wished more than that. But this would cost him his life and accomplishments. He could not lose this, not right now. He took a deep breath for one last time before it all was gone. 

Taehyung put his index on Jungkook's lips signaling for him to be quiet. This room was probably all wired and even if it wasn't, he could not risk people finding out about his interactions with Jungkook. Not even Jungkook could know the truth and that pained him like hell. But if he ever let go, this kid would die. He picked up his phone and began to type in the words. 

_ Jungkook, please keep in mind that you cannot say a word after you read this. You know there is a cost for you wanting this, right? I will not give you the love and happiness you so desperately seek. I cannot give you love. I won't. I will not cuddle with you and I will not be by your side when you need me to. There is no point in that. I'm not interested in that. I will give you sex, if that's what you want. Nothing more. You will eventually grow tired of wanting this if you just let go. So please understand when I say there is no point in trying to change this. I do care about you, but I cannot risk everything else for this, for you.  _

He put the phone in the boy's hand and waited. This was painful to watch. Every line he read, made his eyes become red. It was almost like  _ that _ day. It was painful to watch Jungkook getting hurt because of his actions.  _ Please, don't cry.  _ Taehyung could see he had reached the end of it, but he did not give the phone back. Instead Jungkook began to type and he was almost breaking the screen with his angry fingers. He finally stopped and gave the phone back to Taehyung, fire in his eyes. 

_ Don't take me for some weak and stupid kid. Your little "I am dark and gloomy" show is extremely boring. You go around acting all high and mighty. No one can touch the great Kim Taehyung. Well I can, you cunt. And I will. Drop the "bad boy that cannot be loved" act. It is just pathetic. I'm not demanding love. I have no idea what that shit is. I am telling you to get down from your fucking high horse that you think makes you untouchable and tell the truth for once, you dick. You fucking like me. You like when I touch you. You like when I kiss you. You fucking like me, you asshole. Be a fucking grown up and admit it.  _

This had taken a very weird turn. Jungkook was mad as hell and Taehyung could see it. It was funny. He could not control the smile on his face when he read that stupid message. He was right. It was partially an act, but one he only put up because it protected him and would protect Jungkook, too. But at some point, that man had made him question everything he was doing. This was certainly not love. But there was a unique fondness. Jungkook truly was the only person that could touch him and he would not want to kill him after because of the pain. He had earned the chance of getting something out of Taehyung. Just this once. 

"Fine." Taehyung said at last. "What do you want?" 

"Did this  _ actually _ work?" Jungkook was truly shocked. 

"Yes." Taehyung rolled his eyes.

"Touch you." Puppy eyes always worked. 

"Fine." Taehyung extended his hand. "Don't push it, though." 

Jungkook worked his magic. That soft touch of his was extremely light on the skin. It did not hurt nor made Taehyung uncomfortable. He just wanted more of that. Someone touching him. His long fingers just brushed the skin, it was nothing extreme but it felt so good and Taehyung had gotten to a point in which he couldn't refuse. After that shitty night, he needed a rest. Even if it meant making Jungkook dive head first into him.  _ This was bad _ . Once again he was using this kid. Once again this stupid boy would get hurt. 

They stayed like that for what felt like hours, but in reality it wasn't that much time. Taehyung knew Jungkook had to rest and it was extremely late. So at some point he pulled back his hand and told the boy to sleep. Jungkook lied back in bed and it didn't take him long to fall into a deep sleep. Taehyung ran his fingers through his hair one last time, making the boy smile lightly in his dreams. It was truly adorable. He cautiously pulled his hand back and left, closing the door lightly behind him. 

Seokjin was sitting in Junmyeon's office with the cunt himself. The corpse was there too, but Chanyeol was nowhere to be seen. He was probably trying to solve the little mess Taehyung had created for him. Min Ho was gone and Taehyung was alive. Their little plan had gone to shit and he knew it. Or maybe this was their plan all along. Getting people killed was nothing to Junmyeon. One less mouth to feed was always a good thing. He had his trusted people. He knew exactly who he could trust. Dead fuck boy and  _ Lotte Tower _ would always be there for him. Killing them would be extremely hard, but it would be done at some point. Only then could he finish Junmyeon. 

"What did you want to talk about?" Seokjin sounded tired. 

"People are talking." Taehyung said coldly. "And their conversation is becoming inconvenient."

"What are they talking about?" The dead body asked. 

"What they should not." He hissed. 

_ Go suck your bosse's dick, you pretentious fuck. _

"What are people saying, Taehyung-ssi?" Junmyeon asked calmly. 

"They know there is a new player." Taehyung wanted to laugh, but he held it in. "A big one." 

_ I'm the big player, you fuckhead. _

Taehyung said it in a way that would point at Jungkook instead of him, so he just tried not to laugh at the fact he had just called that boy a big player. Kook was not part of Junmyeon's plan but Taehyung knew he would play along. But for now he would have to play the friendly act. There were only a few more days until the new year and Junmyeon would act then, but so would Taehyung. The new year would not know Kim Namjoon, Kim Junmyeon, Kim Seokjin, Park Jimin or Min Yoongi. They would all be dead by then. Taehyung would probably die in the process too, but it would all be worth it. All those fuckers who had worked so hard to fuck up his life would get just as fucked as him. 

"Has this information reached Namjoon-ssi?" Seokjin asked. 

"It has." Taehyung played them. "He is fully aware."

"Good." Junmyeon was smiling. 

"This will make things go according to plan." Seokjin sounded sinister. "Someone who is so afraid of losing power will not ignore the opportunity to take out the competition."

"They will come for Seokjin-ssi first." Sehun spoke again. "And then Junmyeon-ssi." 

"And we will be ready." Junmyeon was confident. 

This was hilarious. They had been playing Taehyung's game this whole time and were thinking all their ideas were theirs. Tae was only obeying orders. This was fun. But he had now sensed a problem. Seokjin's tone and demeanour had changed. That smart fuck had probably found something out and was not telling the whole story. He would have to act quickly. The next move depended on him doing his part and if he changed his mind right now, things would get complicated. 

"We have set up a meeting with Namjoon." Seokjin spoke again. "The day after tomorrow."

"And what are the conditions?" Taehyung acted stupid. 

"No guns and no backup." The corpse spoke. 

"Great." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "We are just going to go and get killed. _ Real smart _ ." 

"We are not going alone and we are not going unarmed. This will be our last act." Seokjin was cold. 

_ Shit. _

"Who is coming with us?" Taehyung knew exactly who. 

"The Lee family." Junmyeon spoke like he was a genius. 

This was Taehyung acting brilliantly again. Junmyeon had seen the rise in profit the Lee family had, but with the demise of the Choi family they easily associated that with them absorbing their business. Which Taehyung had helped them to achieve. They had become extremely valuable now that there was no more Choi San. Taehyung made sure the drug being sold in Lee territory was associated with Namjoon. And indeed it was. Yuto was supplying Namjoon's drug to them and everyone knew the little symbol Namjoon's drugs carried.  _ A moon _ . 

Now everyone wanted the Lee family on their side and their support was going to the highest bidder. Which was neither of those two fuckers. Junmyeon was certain that they were supporting him, because he had given them more drugs and more power. They already had that but Taehyung was not going to stop Junmyeon from making them even happier. They owed him and that spoke even louder. So now the Lee family was going to play their part in their little game. Soon they would all be dead like the Choi family, because there would be no need for a family to take care of the border. The plan had not changed. 

\--

"You know more than you are saying." Taehyung walked up to Seokjin, the cold sun shining on his face through the window. 

"I do not have to tell you anything." Seokjin was dry. 

"I do not like to be kept out of the loop." Taehyung was smiling. "Shit like that can get me killed." 

"It would not be a problem if you died." Seokjin hissed. 

"Oh, but it would." Taehyung leaned closer. "The one that has been giving you the information you need to get both of them killed, is me." 

Seokjin growled, but because he knew Taehyung was right. He was smart.  _ Very _ smart. He was one of the most difficult people to control, but the cold and calculating Kim Seokjin had a soft spot for his baby brother. Who was not even his brother. But still, Jungkook was his weakness and Taehyung had been playing with that all along. 

"If you want me to help you get rid of Junmyeon in the process." Taehyung smiled again. "I suggest you keep me updated."

"There is someone." Seokjin was grim. "A person we did not know about has been pulling strings."

_ Smart fuck. _

"Impossible." Taehyung put on an angry face. "We have been controlling everything."

"Have we?" Seokjin raised his brow. "This is someone who seems to know everything about everyone and has been able to anticipate our every move." 

"Are you implying that I am working for such a person?" Taehyung laughed. 

Seokjin was up to something and he did not come up with this shit on his own. He had been talking to someone. Someone who knew a lot. Someone equally hard to control. Taehyung understood it before it was too late. Apparently, brotherly love did exist in the Kim family. There was only one person who would be smart enough to smell something and put the pieces together like this. Someone who was as slippery as a snake with a very sweet and venomous tongue.  _ Park Jimin _ . This fucker had to go as soon as possible. Not only because he hurt Jungkook, but because he was a smart pain in the ass that could force Taehyung to change his plans. 

"Taehyung-ssi," Seokjin scoffed. "you are not to be trusted." 

"Obviously." Taehyung tilted his head. "I just hope your little  _ informant _ told you the person's name."

"He did." Seokjin was calm again. 

"Good." Taehyung smiled maliciously at him. "We should get going. I am anxious to meet Kim Namjoon." 

"I'm in no hurry, Taehyung-ssi." Seokjin knew how to be sarcastic as well. 

_ How cute.  _

"But you should,  _ darling _ ." Taehyung had his murderous smile on. "The faster he dies, the faster we can get rid of Junmyeon." 

Seokjin clicked his tongue. 

"The faster Jungkook will be safe." Taehyung played his little card at the proper moment. Just when Seokjin thought he was in control. 

"Don't you dare touch him." Seokjin growled. "I will kill you if you even try."

"Well," Taehyung was going for the strike. "He is the one who  _ begs _ me to." 

Seokjin grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall. Finally some reaction. He was fuming and Taehyung could see it. He could see the huge crack on his face. The perfect porcelain shattering at the  _ mention _ of his name. Jungkook not only begged him to touch him, but begged Taehyung to fuck him. But he was going to be merciful to Seokjin. He didn't need to know this. 

He was extremely smart, but he was so weak. Just a name. A stupid person made him lose everything like that. This was just getting  _ too _ easy. But maybe this was exactly it.  _ Too _ easy. Too simple. This was not how things were supposed to go. This was Seokjin tricking him into thinking he had won.  _ Fuck _ . Jungkook was his card and it did make Seokjin lose his temper. But this was a bit too much. Too intense. He had to test the limit. If the response was just as intense, this meant it was all orchestrated and this was not Seokjin. Little shows like this were Jimin's specialty.  _ Always the drama queen _ . That fucker had been able to understand the little game they had been playing and this was problematic. 

"Don't you forget  _ I _ was the one who saved him when your dear brother almost stabbed him to death." Taehyung's tongue was pure venom and his lips were curled into his dark smile. All he had to do now was to wait for the response. 

"You..." Seokjin pushed him harder against the cold wall. 

"Seokjin!" Jungkook showed up from nowhere. 

_ Shit. _

Jin let go of Taehyung, stepping back. Jungkook had just ruined everything and Taehyung was mad. Seokjin was going to say something and Tae needed that answer. He needed to know if this was a show or not. This was  _ truly _ annoying. Seokjin would go back to normal and he would not get to see the little show he had created to make Taehyung believe he was out of it. For the first time, his smile faltered. Tae was happy to see that boy walking again, but this was not how this was all supposed to go. Jungkook could not interfere like this.  _ Kill him? _

Taehyung cursed under his breath. 

"What the  _ fuck  _ is going on?" Jungkook was furious. 

"Mind your tone, Jungkook." Seokjin was back to his cold demeanour. 

"So mind your words." Jungkook hissed. "What are both of you fighting about?" 

"Trust me." Taehyung was straightening his clothes. "If we were truly fighting, you would not have a brother by the end of it." 

Taehyung needed to throw his venom at someone and Jungkook was not going to be it. He could hear the elder man hissing at the remark.  _ Jackpot _ . He stopped and focused on the boy. Jungkook was fully dressed. Almost as if he planned on going somewhere. Did he? The stupid fuck was trying to make himself come to the meeting. It was not entirely a bad idea. Jungkook worked as a good pawn for both sides.  _ You dick _ . Taehyung did not want to think of him like that. He was not going to use him like that. Not anymore. Not after what he had been through. This was bad. 

"Why are you dressed like that?" Taehyung arched an eyebrow.

"Because I'm going with you." Jungkook was extremely predictable. "And don't even think of making me stay here." 

"Fine." Taehyung smiled. 

"Stay." Seokjin hissed. 

"I really don't care about your opinion, Seokjin." Jungkook was angry. "Do not think you can tell me what to do."

The attitude was cute, but it was problematic. Jungkook was a liability Taehyung had not anticipated in this little transaction and now he had to deal with the whole Kim family acting up and trying to ruin his plans. At least ⅔ of that family would be dead soon. Not really an issue. Jungkook strode past both of them and walked out the door, disappearing from their sight.


	29. SAVE

"Seokjin!" Jungkook blurted out. 

His tone was a bit more threatening that he had intended, but he still had to stop his brother from hurting Taehyung _. _

Jin let go of Taehyung's collar and moved away from the other man. Jungkook had finally managed to get out of bed for the first time in days. He was still in pain, but he would have to ignore it for the time being. As soon as he got out of his room, the first thing he saw was Jin and Taehyung almost hitting each other.  _ Why? _ They were good at keeping secrets, but Jungkook was now determined to discover what was going on. 

"What the  _ fuck  _ is going on?" Jungkook tried to sound as mad as possible. 

"Mind your tone, Jungkook." Seokjin threatened him. 

"So mind your words." Jungkook hissed. "What are both of you fighting about?" 

"Trust me." Taehyung was straightening his clothes. He had that sly smile of his on his lips. "If we were truly fighting, you would not have a brother by the end of it." 

Jungkook was staring at him. It was truly a beautiful sight and he had missed Taehyung. Still, it was not the time to think about that. He was going to join them in their little meeting with Namjoon and no one would stop him. Taehyung was staring at him, almost as if he was analyzing him. He had his serious face on and it was almost menacing.  _ Almost _ . 

"Why are you dressed like that?" Taehyung arched an eyebrow at him.

"Because I'm going with you." Jungkook was firm. "And don't even think of making me stay here." 

"Fine." Taehyung had his sly smile on his lips. 

"Stay." Seokjin hissed. 

"I really don't care about your opinion, Seokjin." Jungkook was still firm. "Do not think you can tell me what to do."

If he lingered any longer, he would end up having to deal with both of them trying to make him stay and Jungkook knew he could not win against either of them. Leaving was a safer option. He just strode past both men and walked calmly towards the front door. He would wait for them outside. 

Jungkook had discovered about the meeting when he had overheard Junmyeon on the phone the other day. He did not know who he was talking to, but the message was loud and clear. Taehyung and Seokjin would meet Namjoon and Jimin. This was the first part of some sort of plan they had been working on. Jungkook hadn’t been able to listen to the second part of the conversation, because he heard someone coming and had to leave. Still, he was aware that there was a plan that involved meeting the two people who had tried to kill him. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned back to see who it was. 

"What do you think you are doing?" Taehyung was mad. 

"Stop treating me like I am useless." Jungkook hissed. 

"I have never done that." Taehyung had his murderous eyes back. "And I will never do it." 

Jungkook swallowed hard. 

"Don't think that because you are important, you are invincible." He was dark. 

"I am going." Jungkook was not going to back down. 

"Fine." Taehyung hissed. "But if you get yourself killed, you can only blame yourself." 

"I thought you weren't going to let anything happen to me." Jungkook was trying to be funny. 

_ Bad idea _ . 

"Is this a game to you?" Taehyung was almost growling. "Me risking my life to save your ass is fun to you?" 

"This is not..." Jungkook was interrupted. 

"You may think that I care about you more than I care about myself." He leaned closer. "I  _ don't _ ." 

Taehyung walked away with his dark miasma. Jungkook had fucked up and he knew it. He really did not mean for things to go down like that. He practically owed Taehyung his life. He would not be here if he had not found him, so Jungkook could not mistreat him like that. He would never. Taehyung was too important to him. He would obey him whenever he asked. But right now, he had made that man mad. He had hurt him.  _ Fuck _ . 

Seokjin came out of the house and Jungkook followed behind him. They headed for one of the cars that were parked outside and got in. His brother was going to drive. Jungkook sat in the back while the two other men sat in the front. They were already on the road when Taehyung pulled out his gun and checked every inch of it, making sure it was properly working. Jung-hwan had taught him everything about a gun and the memory made Jungkook feel a slight pain in his chest. 

"Do you have other plans?" Seokjin was sarcastic. 

"If you are stupid enough to go unnarmed." Taeyung did not take his eyes off his gun. "That's on you." 

"The Lee's are going to back us up." 

"And Yuto's men are going to support them." Taehyung hissed. 

Jungkook never really understood why Taehyung would always say that man's name with so much disgust. He probably had a history with him. Something  _ bad _ . And seeing that they were working with Namjoon and Yoongi, he probably had already done something to Taehyung. Something that hurt him badly. Jungkook shivered slightly, but thankfully no one noticed. They were too immersed in their passive-aggressive conversation. 

This all sounded like some great opportunity for everyone to shoot everyone else and in the end there would only be dead bodies. Jungkook shifted, trying to ignore the gun that was in his back. He had picked one up from one of Junmyeon's security guards and was now walking around with a gun on his waist. The cold metal was bothersome, but he couldn't let people know he was armed. Especially Taehyung and Seokjin.

They drove around for a while until they eventually stopped. They arrived at this abandoned building and Jungkook could not help laughing internally. This was such a cliché. It was like one of those movies he used to watch while growing up. The bad part was that those kinds of scenes always ended up with people getting ambushed and shot inside abandoned buildings. Jungkook swallowed hard. 

Seokjin and Taehyung stepped out of the car and he followed them to the main entrance. Taehyung looked around with certain expectancy, almost as if he was waiting for something. Seokjin was too focused on making sure they were alone. He looked around almost frantically. The look on Taehyung's face was a bit strange. He was sure of something. Almost confident. It did not really match the scenario. 

"So..." Jungkook was a bit too excited. "Are we doing this or not?" 

"We have to wait for backup." Taehyung hissed. 

He was definitely still mad. 

And then a second car arrived. It looked familiar, but Jungkook was not quite sure who it was. Not until the two people inside came out.  _ Chanyeol and Seulgi _ . This was a duo he was not expecting to see. Not in a million years would he have imagined those two together. They both had a very menacing aura to them. Both knew how to kill. It was almost as if they  _ wanted _ to kill. Jungkook turned his head and could see a troubled look on his brother's face. Taehyung was also angry. 

"Junmyeon is a  _ real _ control freak, isn't he?" Taehyung was smiling, but Jungkook could see the anger. 

"Mind your words, Taehyung." Chanyeol hissed. 

"What are you two doing here?" Seokjin asked coldly. 

"Making sure you two don't fuck this up." Seulgi was staring at Jungkook. 

"This is  _ our _ business." Taehyung was almost growling at the woman. 

"You don't really have a say in this." Seulgi stepped even closer. "You will  _ obey _ your orders, Taehyung-ssi."

Jungkook could see the murderous look in Taehyung's eyes. He was probably going to kill her. Maybe even on that same day. He was angry.  _ Very _ angry. His hands were in his pocket and he had that demeanor when someone annoyed him. Junmyeon had stepped over the line Seokjin had drawn and was now intervening in a part he should not. This was not going to end well. His brother clicked his tongue. 

"Fine." He spoke calmly. "Be ready to act." 

Only Chanyeol nodded. Seulgi was still staring at Jungkook with that menacing face of hers. She seemed like she would start laughing any moment. Laugh  _ at _ Jungkook. Almost as if she was trying to humiliate him. True, he was not like Seulgi or Chanyeol.  _ Definitely _ not like Taehyung. But he was still of some value. He was still someone who could help. Jungkook was mad. 

Taehyung began walking again and opened the heavy metal door of the building, making a high pitched noise. Jungkook winced at the noise, but when he looked up he saw the blonde figure standing on the other side of the room.  _ Jimin _ . The man was not his brother. He had never been, still the pain in his chest was sharp. That man who had once cared for him had almost killed him. He had tortured Jungkook. He was just an evil bitch. The cunning fox that would do anything for his personal interests. Jungkook suddenly stopped walking. Yoongi was not there, only Namjoon. The third part of the assholes’ club was not there. Something felt wrong. 

Seokjin and Taehyung walked ahead and Jungkook realized he had to start walking again. He was in no hurry to meet either Jimin or Namjoon.  _ Motherfuckers _ . Jungkook wanted to draw his gun and shoot both of them dead. He wanted to end their lives, but he couldn't. Or maybe he was just not brave enough for that. The thought made him angry. 

"Taehyung-ssi." Jimin was smiling. "Seokjinie." 

"Park Jimin." Taehyung spoke in his cold tone. "Kim Namjoon." 

And then he bowed, like he  _ needed _ to be respectful. Both Seokjin and Jungkook looked as if they were missing something. Like Taehyung was up to something. And he probably was. Jungkook could not say he was a reliable person. But he was not insane either. He would never go against someone like Junmyeon. That man had so much power in his hands that he would not even think twice before killing Taehyung. 

"Came to surrender, Seokjin?" Namjoon asked in his deep tone. 

"I could ask the same to you." Seokjin was calm as ever. 

"Don't think that because you sided with Junmyeon, you have some sort of power in your hands." Namjoon was cold. 

"We don't." Taehyung was smiling. "But neither do you." 

Namjoon hissed at the remark.

"And who does, Taehyung?" Jimin was smiling as he tilted his head. "You?" 

"Jimin, darling." Taehyung had his malicious smile on his lips. Whenever he used it with other people, Jungkook would get jealous. "How long have we known each other? Do you actually consider me capable of wielding such power? I'm flattered." 

Taehyung was almost laughing out loud. Jungkook knew it. But apart from him and Jimin, everyone was deadly serious. The two of them were up to something. This was as clear as day, but Jungkook had no idea what it could be. The insane thought of them working together was instantly buried. Jungkook shook his head. 

"Kookie, darling." Jimin finally acknowledged him. "Almost didn't see you standing there. How have you been?" 

"Much better now that I know we are not related." Jungkook hissed. "That way I won't feel bad about killing you." 

"Oh, darling." Jimin laughed. "Don't be pathetic. I have no intention of letting you leave this place alive." 

"Can we stop with the cringy family moment?" Taehyung rolled his eyes and pulled out his gun. "Who wants to go first?" 

"How about me?" A deep voice answered. 

The moment he finished, things began to unveil. Behind Namjoon a man walked forward from the shadows. Jungkook could see the slight shock on Taehyung's face. He faltered for a second. This man had a very deep accent and Jungkook could only stare. He knew something was wrong. This was Yuto. The one and only. Taehyung stepped back and was now even closer to Jungkook. Behind that man, there were more men. A  _ lot _ of men. 

"You _ motherfucker _ ." Taehyung gritted his teeth. 

"Manners, Taehyung-ssi." Namjoon laughed. "Do you remember Yuto-ssi?" 

"You have some balls showing up here, Yuto." Taehyung was furious, his tone dark. 

"Why, Taehyung-san?" The man laughed. "Afraid I might disturb your little show?"

"Disturb?" Taehyung laughed. "You think too highly of yourself."   
"Do I?" Yuto laughed hard. "Last time you were the one crying and begging." 

Taehyung stared at him with fire in his eyes. This was not a good look. Jungkook knew this man was bad but he never thought he would attack someone like Taehyung like that. What did he mean by crying and begging? Did Yuto make him do that? Or did Yoongi? Jungkook knew he would never be able to ask Taehyung about this, but this was extremely worrisome. 

"Always the same." Taehyung tried to sound dismissive, but Jungkook knew he was furious. "You should not tell lies, Yuto. It's almost like you  _ need _ people to think you are better than me. Do you?" 

"Lies, Taehyung-san?" Yuto was still laughing. "I think you are forgetting why you were kept alive." 

Kept alive? This rang a bell.  _ Jackson _ . 

_ Very few people live to tell the story.  _

_ And if they do, it's only because he wants them to. _

Why was this man related to this? Why did he say that? This was bad and Jungkook knew it. He was probably going to destabilize Taehyung to gain the upper hand, but this meant that Yuto would get what he deserved and Jungkook was actually happy about that. Kook knew how much of a sadistic fuck Jackson had been and he knew how much he could hurt people. The mere thought of him torturing Taehyung was enough for him to feel sick. And Yuto was still laughing. The noise echoing in the room. 

Before he could even finish laughing, Taehyung had already shot Yuto and the man was lying on the ground. Jungkook could see him squirming on the floor as he groaned. Taehyung had managed to shoot him on the shoulder and his men were pulling him away. Namjoon was angry and Jimin had a very displeased look on his face. They were now in front of at least 30 men with guns, knives and pieces of wood. Just the three of them were no match for all those men. Jungkook stepped back. 

"Stay." Taehyung said within gritted teeth. "Put." 

"Well, Namjoon-ssi." Seokjin was sarcastic. "You are truly incapable of keeping your promises." 

"Stop being such an upright cunt, Seokjin." Namjoon growled. "We all know you are no such thing." 

"Are you mad, Namjoon-ssi?" Taehyung was smiling again, dark aura all over. 

Behind them, Seulgi and Chanyeol entered the building with a few men behind them. It was not as many as the ones on Namjoon and Jimin's side, but it was more than just the three of them. Jungkook turned and he could see Seulgi standing in the far back, a grin on her lips. Chanyeol was standing beside them. He was not happy. 

"You are just as bad as we are, Seokjinie." Jimin reappeared in the conversation. 

"Yes, yes." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "We all got blood on our hands. Some more than others." 

Jungkook could see Taehyung grinning as he stared at Jimin. He had a very dark aura and he wondered if everyone could see it as well. It was impossible not to feel the murderous atmosphere around them. It made his stomach turn a couple of times and the metal on his back seemed even colder. He reached back for his gun in some sort of premonition instant. Things would not remain this calm for a long time and people were probably anxious to start the shoot out. 

Before Jungkook could touch the gun, he was pushed to the side and fell to the ground near a wooden crate.  Everyone began shooting and now bullets were flying everywhere, Jungkook could no longer see Taehyung or Seokjin. Just a bunch of men shooting and stabbing each other. He was finally able to pull out his gun and began to look around. There were already 5 or 6 people lying on the ground. They were probably already dead, because Jungkook could see small blood pools underneath them and their chests were no longer moving.  _ Dead _ . 

As his eyes moved around from body to body, Jungkook finally caught a glimpse of his brother on the other side of the room. Seokjin had blood on his arm and he knew that he had already been shot. Jungkook's heart sank. While he was lost in his own thoughts, Jungkook heard a shot extremely near him and a man fell right beside him. He had his eyes open while he stared at him and convulsed. Blood spilled out of his mouth and then he went completely still. His eyes were still fixated on Jungkook. A chill ran down his spine and the pain from his own wounds was extremely strong. He began to think that maybe he had made the wrong decision. All those unhealed wounds could open again and he would bleed out just like that night.  _ Stupid _ .

He looked around again and tried to find Taehyung. He was busy stabbing a man on the neck. He pulled out the knife from the dead body and ducked down to grab his gun again, aiming for another man in front of him. The bullet went straight through his head. Blowing it up when it exited. Taehyung did all this with his sadistic smile on his lips. It was extremely unsettling to see him like this. Sometimes Jungkook would forget about this side of him. Forget that Taehyung  _ liked _ to kill. 

Kook was forced out of his own thoughts by a man that had discovered his hiding spot. Jungkook did not have time to think so he just pulled the trigger as much as he could. He shot the man a few times and the other bullets just went flying everywhere. The man stumbled back, kneeled and then fell to the ground with a thud. Jungkook did not feel sick but when he looked up, he could see Taehyung staring at him. He was  _ mad _ . As mad as Taehyung could look. Jungkook looked back at the man he had shot and he could see his neck was bleeding profusely.  _ Dead. _

"What the  _ fuck _ do you think you are doing?" Taehyung was now crouching beside him.

"I..." Jungkook choked on his words. "I just.." 

"You just grabbed a gun and shot me." Taehyung was furious as he looked down at his shoulder. "You fucking  _ shot _ me, you idiot." 

Jungkook looked at the other man's shoulder and it was bleeding. Taehyung growled. He pressed on the wound for a second and hissed at Jungkook. He  _ was _ an idiot. But he never meant to shoot Taehyung in the process. He was not a great shooter and he knew it, but still he was not supposed to be this bad. The metallic scent had become increasingly overpowering and Jungkook's stomach turned twice. Especially now that Taehyung was near him. His smell was truly intense and unsettling. 

"Don't you  _ fucking _ move." Taehyung growled at him. "Stay  _ fucking _ put, do you  _ fucking _ understand?." 

This much cursing meant that man was extremely furious and Jungkook could only be scared of his demeanor. He was always a bit scared of Taehyung, no matter what he did or said. He was like that, someone people feared. Jungkook had learned to accept that, and in moments like this, he would just cower. Fearing Taehyung would hurt him in some fucked up way. 

"I'm sorry." Jungkook mumbled. 

"I swear that if you move, I will shoot you myself." Taehyung stood up again. 

As soon as he stood up he shot one of Namjoon's goons and at that moment he could see Taehyung grin. Something had happened. Jungkook tried to stand up to see whatever it was that the other man had seen, but there were bullets flying everywhere. He stood up slowly and tried to look around. He looked at the back of the room and saw Chanyeol lying on the ground. He had probably been shot.  _ This was bad. _ Seulgi was still standing, but she had a faint grin on her lips as she stared at the men coming towards her. It was scary. 

"Jimin is alive, so is Namjoon. Behind the metal plaque. Shoot." Taehyung suddenly screamed beside him. He was talking to someone but Jungkook could not see who it was. 

Jungkook let out a sigh. Jimin was going to die eventually and even though he did not harbour any good feelings for that man anymore, his heart still hurt at the thought. Kook was lost in his own thoughts until a man jumped up on him. They rolled on the ground a couple of times as the man tried to stab him. Jungkook held the blade pushing it backwards and cutting his hand in the process. The man was on top of him as he pushed down with all his strength.

He remembered the night in Gwangju, when he had stabbed that man into nothingness. This was too intense. He grunted a few times and tried rolling to the side to make him fall down. He squirmed a few times, blood dripping down on his face. Jungkook mustered all his strength to try to get on top of the man and finally managed to do so. He was now staring down at the man and he could feel the smile forming on his face. The blade still in his hand, blood spilling everywhere as he tried to turn it back to the man underneath him. In a swift move, Jungkook managed to twist the man's hand and stabbed him on the throat. He pulled out the knife and stabbed him a few more times before he felt satisfied. 

The handle was sticking out from his chest. Jungkook grabbed the knife again and pulled it out. He held onto it and looked down at the dead body underneath him. There was a pool of blood on the floor that was now flowing everywhere. Jungkook's pants were wet with the man's blood and this made him break out from the daze he had been in. He stood up and looked down at the bloody mess on the ground. The dead man had shock on his face. It felt  _ good _ . He felt as good as he did when he killed that man in Gwangju. It felt liberating. 

It was quiet for a while and then Jungkook looked up to see Seulgi shooting a man in the head. He had been kneeling in front of her, but he was now lying on the ground like everyone else. There were dead bodies everywhere. Seulgi was bleeding from the stomach and Chanyeol was still lying on the ground. He had probably been killed a long time ago during the shoot out. He felt bad and afraid. Junmyeon would not take this news lightly. 

When Jungkook looked at the front of the room, he saw Namjoon lying on the floor, bleeding. He tried to see if he was still alive, but he seemed completely still. Taehyung and Seokjin were both bleeding but had their guns pointed at Jimin. Jin was panting and Taehyung had his sadistic smile on his face. Jimin had also been injured. His bloody hand trembled on the trigger of his gun. His smile was finally gone. He was cornered. Still, he was aiming at Taehyung. 

Taehyung looked back at Jungkook and smiled when he saw the boy. He walked up to him and Jungkook could not help but smile faintly.  _ Why? _ Taehyung was staring at him with a concerned look and Kook remembered that blood had been splattered on his face. He could hear people hissing around, but he did not even bother to look the other way. His eyes were fixated on that dark smile on his face. Taehyung walked past him and was now standing behind Jungkook.  _ Why?  _ Jungkook turned back to see Jimin still pointing his gun at him now that Taehyung was behind him. It felt as if he was protecting himself by using Jungkook as a shield. Jin was still pointing his gun at Jimin. 

"It's over, Jimin" Seokjin sighed. 

"It is only over when that  _ fucker _ is gone." Jimin was furious as he stared in Jungkook and Taehyung’s direction. 

"Me?" Jungkook could hear Taehyung's voice behind him. The laughter was alarming. 

"This is all  _ you _ ." Jimin spat out blood. "You fucking  _ cunt _ ." 

Seokjin looked back at Jungkook and Taehyung. He looked mad.  _ Extremely _ mad. He then turned back to Jimin, his gun still pointing at his brother's head. This would not end well. 

"Me?" Taehyung laughed again. "Don't be pathetic."

"You manipulative son of a bitch." Jimin stepped forward and Jin gripped his gun tighter. "You think I didn't know? You  _ actually _ think no one knows?" 

"And what do they know, Jimin-ssi?" Taehyung threatened. 

"You annoying motherfucker" Jimin was growling. "You are such a disgusting cunt." 

"Am I?" Taehyung was definitely smiling, Jungkook could feel it. "And what are you?"

"You think you are so much better than us, don't you?" Jimin spat out blood again. "You are nothing more than a cheap version of  _ him _ ."

The moment Jimin took a step towards them and began to speak Jungkook heard a soft voice whisper in his ear. He couldn't fully understand what it was because it was so low. It almost sounded like he had said "I'm sorry". It did not make any sense. Jungkook probably had heard it wrong. 

_ Why did he whisper? _

Then Jungkook heard the loud noise and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He clutched his own shoulder and kneeled to the ground, growling in pain. Had Jimin shot him? And then he heard the second shot. It all happened too fast and Jungkook was now sitting on the ground with his mouth agape. Jin was kneeling on the ground, everything was soundless and in slow motion. Taehyung was speaking but he could not hear a word he said, he could only look at the blond man that was lying dead on the ground. Jimin was dead. 

When Jungkook looked up at the man who had shot him, he only saw Jimin falling to the ground, blood between his eyebrows. He looked to his side and Seokjin's gun had smoke coming out of the barrel. Seokjin had shot Jimin in the head.  _ Brother killed brother _ . Jungkook's heart was beating fast, Taehyung was shaking his head and he could not take his eyes off the dead man. 

_ What a beautiful corpse he will be. _

He could not focus on the scene in front of him anymore- he turned to Jin and stared for a long time. His brother was kneeling alone on the ground, his gun beside him. His face screamed pain and for the second time in his life, Jungkook saw Seokjin cry. Both times it had been because of Jimin.  _ How sad. _

He could see Taehyung screaming his name while he shook him out of his deep thoughts, but Jungkook was non responsive. What he did not realize was that part of Jungkook died with Jimin- Kookie was dead. Jungkook was in pain. Both because of the shot and because even though he thought he hated the man, there were memories and feelings they once shared. They had been a family once. 

_ Jimin. _

Taehyung shook Jungkook a couple more times before he finally went back to normal. Seokjin was still kneeling in the same place and Jimin and Namjoon were still lying on the ground. Both of them dead. Jungkook had no idea how long it had been, but he was staring at Taehyung with difficulty. 

"Jungkook!" Taehyung growled. 

"..."

"Can you walk?" Taehyung tried pulling him up. 

"Jimin." Jungkook mumbled.

"He's dead." 

Jungkook slowly stood up with the help of Taehyung and began to look around. Seulgi was already up. She had a massive red stain on her stomach and her face was extremely pale. Chanyeol was still lying on the ground, so he was probably dead, too. He looked back at his brother who was still kneeling. 

"Seokjin." Jungkook whispered. 

"He's fine." Taehyung spoke again. 

"Taehyung." Jungkook hissed. "Shut the  _ fuck _ up." 

Kook let go of Taehyung's arm and walked up to his brother. Seokjin was still staring into the ground. His breathing was so light that from afar you would think he was dead. He was no longer crying. 

" _ Hyung _ ." Jungkook spoke lightly. "Let's go."

Seokjin looked up and stared at Jungkook. His eyes were devoid of life. It was like he was just a walking corpse. His brother stood up and began to walk. Completely ignoring Jungkook and everyone around him. He exited the building and Jungkook could no longer see his brother. This was bad. Kook looked back at Taehyung and began to walk out of the building, too. 

\--

Jungkook was not in the mood for talking to anyone, even though Taehyung had tried to make him at least tell him if he was in pain or not. He was numb again. Just like the night in Gwangju. He did not smell Taehyung. He did not feel pain nor happiness. He just wanted to sleep. He wanted to rest for as long as he could. Forget that he had seen Seokjin kill Jimin. Jungkook just ignored Taehyung and went back to his room after his shoulder was patched up. He fell asleep quite fast. 

Jimin was sitting in the grass, the wind blowing his natural black hair.  _ What a beautiful sight. _ This was an old memory. Very old indeed. Jungkook was 10 at the time and Jimin was a beautiful 12-year-old. At that age, he was already extremely handsome and made people's heart flutter. Both men and women. He was staring at the mountains in front of him and he seemed happy, carefree. 

The summer was raging and the heat was becoming unbearable, still Jimin sat there unbothered.  _ So carefree. _ They had gone to their country villa and were enjoying a few days away from the craziness of Busan. At that time, they did not know what life had in store for them and they could sit and enjoy the summer breeze like that. They were just kids. 

Jungkook finally sat down beside his brother and stared at him. Jimin turned to him and his plump peachy lips turned into a big smile. Kook loved that sight. His brother turned his head and stared back at the mountains again. Jimin enjoyed the countryside more than anyone in the family. Seokjin just stayed locked in his room for the whole time they were there and Kook missed his video games.  _ Stupid child. _ Jimin enjoyed it, he loved that country villa. 

"Kookie, I love it here."

"I know you do. I hate it."

"Don't hate peaceful places- you will miss them when we grow up." Jimin said smiling.

He had a way with words- he could always talk like a grown-up. His words were sweet and his thoughts were just as sweet. He was a peaceful person to be around. Jungkook did not understand that at the time, but Jimin was fully aware of everything their family was and what his position was. He had to mature earlier than he wanted- that's why he spoke like that. It was as if he knew his death was imminent. Jungkook always thought Jimin was a fatalist, but he was just too stupid to understand that his brother was never meant to live long and Jimin knew that. 

The scene changed and Jungkook was now smoking a cigarette with Jimin on the balcony of his room. Jimin was now blonde. This was months ago. Jungkook remembered every single thing about that day- it was the day he discovered about the family business and that Jin had killed their father. He was smoking that terrible vanilla cigarette that he loved.  _ Fucking disgusting. _ It was that memory, but something seemed off. Jimin looked paler than before, he had blood on his hands and he had a serious face. 

"What is wrong,  _ hyung _ ?"

"Nothing, Kookie. I'm okay now."

"You are bleeding!"

"I'm free, Kookie. Aren't you happy for me?"

Jungkook wasn't crying- he was bawling as he fell to his knees while holding Jimin's hand. He knew Jimin was dead and he knew he would never see his brother again, so he was clinging onto the last bit of Jimin that he had. His memories. He held onto that hand so tightly that he could hear every single bone in his own hand breaking. Still, he did not let go. 

"Kookie, listen to me.” Jimin’s voice was slightly hoarse. “It's okay, baby boy,  _ hyung _ is okay.”

“Please don’t,  _ hyung _ .” 

“Take care of yourself, you hear me?” Jimin was fading. “Save Seokjinie, okay?” 

"Please..." Jungkook was bawling like a small child. "Don't go!"

"I have to go, baby boy. I will be okay. Don't cry."

"No, please don't."

"Wake up, Kookie. It's time to wake up." Jimin said in a sweet voice while he ran his fingers through Jungkook's hair, humming that sweet little tune he always did.

His eyes opened and he knew he was back in his room in Junmyeon’s house. Kook looked around and there was no one in the room- he was alone. Jimin wasn't there anymore. The dim light poorly illuminating the bedroom, making it hard to see anything. The pain in his chest was back. Everything was back. His shoulder hurt like hell and his body was aching as well. 

While he was struggling to keep himself awake, he heard two sets of footsteps in the hallway. They stopped right outside his door and he could hear their faint voices having a conversation. 

"Why?" This was a woman’s voice, but it was too low for him to figure out who it was.

"Did we have a choice?" Taehyung spoke. Sarcasm in his tone.

"He knows."

"This was all part of the plan." Taehyung laughed. “And if you are not comfortable with this, death is always an option.” 

"He will either get killed because of you or by your own hands.” The woman hissed. 

There was the sound of a choked cough and a slight thud.

"Don't you  _ dare _ threaten me. I  _ own _ you." Taehyung growled in a very dark way. “If you are breathing today, it's because _ I _ allow it.” 

Jungkook shifted in his bed, trying to listen better to the conversation. Unfortunately, the bed squeaked lightly and he could hear the people outside moving. The woman was coughing. And he could hear someone walking towards the room. Jungkook quickly lied back down and pretended to be asleep. His eyes tightly closed. The door of his room opened right after. 

“It is not nice to eavesdrop on other people's conversation, Jungkook.” He knew Taehyung had that dark smile on his face.


	30. GAME

Jungkook did not know why Taehyung would act in such an aggressive manner, but it was better to face it head on. He opened his eyes and stared back at the man by the door. Jungkook shivered slightly. Taehyung had the ability to shift into something completely menacing and dark in just a few seconds. He knew that was who he was, but he would still get surprised whenever he saw such a change. 

“So you  _ were _ listening.” He said in a sarcastic tone. 

His smell was all over the room and Jungkook was breathing through his mouth. It was as if it had become more pungent. It was still as disgusting as the first time he had ever experienced it, yet it had never been this threatening. Never this intense. Jungkook was scared and he could not hide it. Taehyung had changed. Or maybe Jungkook was seeing the true Kim Taehyung for the first time. 

“It was not my intention.” 

“Oh, baby.” Taehyung laughed. “Don’t worry, I'm not going to kill you just because you were listening behind the door.” 

“So you  _ are _ going to kill me at some point.” This hurt, but it had to be said. Jungkook had to be sure. 

The smile on Taehyung’s face disappeared. This was bad and Jungkook knew it. He had crossed a line he could never come back from. 

“I was hoping you would not get to this conclusion so fast.” 

“You…” Jungkook tried to say the words, but choked. 

_ You tricked me. _

_ You used me. _

_ You hurt me. _

The options were endless. The pain in his chest was back and it was strong. Jungkook heaved. 

“I what?” Taehyung was dark again. “Are you  _ seriously _ going to say that I didn't warn you?” 

“I was a fool to believe something like  _ you _ could be any different from  _ him _ .” Jungkook fought against the growing pain. 

“Don’t you  _ dare _ compare me to that thing.” If Taehyung’s tone was a bullet, Jungkook would be dead. This was truly menacing. 

“Why?” Jungkook finally let go. The tears came down. “Do you think you are? Do you really think you would ever be better than any of them? Better than those people who sit in that office and plan to kill other people?”

Taehyung stepped forward, but Jungkook did not cower. He ignored the pain from his injuries and the one that had set in his heart and sat on the bed looking straight at the other man. 

“You are nothing more than a cheap version of them.” Jungkook growled at the other man. “You are the same fucking disgusting piece of shit as them.” 

Taehyung had lost it and Jungkook could see it. He walked forward with blood in his eyes. It was as if death itself was walking towards him. It only made the pain worse. Taehyung did not waste any time in hurting him either. His hands grabbed him by the neck, but this time it was not for pleasure. It was to kill him. Silence him. Jungkook could not breathe properly. 

“Now you listen to me, Jeon Jungkook.” Taehyung had the darkest tone Jungkook had ever heard. It was as if it was not even him. “Don't you dare think that because I like to  _ fuck _ you, I will spare your pathetic little life.”

He grabbed even tighter and Jungkook was truly breathless. He tugged on Taehyung’s arms, trying to stop him. 

“I have said this before, baby.” Taehyung was almost breaking his neck. “My life is much more valuable than yours and I will not hesitate to snap your pretty little neck just for the fun of it.” 

Jungkook could see everything around him becoming darker. 

“You think you can say and do whatever you like?” Jungkook had no strength anymore, so he let go of the older man’s arms. “You  _ will _ obey me. You will do what  _ I  _ tell you to do and in the end you will  _ beg _ me to kill you.” 

Taehyung finally let go and Jungkook fell from the bed straight to the floor, almost throwing up with the cough. The other man crouched in front of him and tilted his chin up. 

“I will kill every single thing you treasure, if you ever talk to me like that again.” Taehyung smiled. “Do you understand, baby?” 

Jungkook could only cough so he did not answer. But Taehyung was not satisfied. He liked to be answered. Liked to be  _ obeyed _ . He picked up his index finger and stuck it into Jungkook’s bullet wound on his shoulder, making him scream in pain. The index finger going deeper and deeper. 

“I said.” The finger delved into the skin. “Do you understand?” 

“Y-yes, sir.” Jungkook managed to say between tears. 

This was Kim Taehyung. The real one. The one Jungkook had never seen before. He truly was pure darkness. He was nothing more than someone that wanted to kill. Needed to kill. And Jungkook blindly fell for a man like that. He was used by him and he did not even see it coming. There was a faint sound of footsteps outside the room and Jungkook thought about screaming for help. But he couldn't bring himself to scream. 

Jungkook stared at Taehyung as the man raised his hand towards his head. This was unsettling so Jungkook cowered. He escaped that touch. Taehyung stared at him and the look on his face changed in a second. He looked hurt. 

“Jungkook.” He sighed. 

Jungkook had nowhere to run to. Nowhere to hide. He was facing the deadliest thing he had ever encountered in his life and his name was Kim Taehyung. He was scary, soulless and pure evil. Jungkook had seen it first hand. That man had nothing inside of him other than a pitch black darkness that would consume everything it touched. 

“Don’t touch me!” Jungkook was almost screaming. 

“Don't be like that.” Taehyung stopped again. 

“Like that how?” Jungkook was scared, but also angry and he was screaming now. “Afraid of a psycho like you?” 

“Don't scream.” Taehyung threatened. 

“You almost killed me you psychotic fuck.” Jungkook moved to the side as he continued to scream. “You fucking psycho. You crazy piece of shit. You…”

“JUNGKOOK!” Taehyung made him focus on him. “Shut the  _ fuck _ up.” 

“...” 

“I wasn't going to kill you.” Taehyung sighed. “I  _ needed _ to do this.” 

“You  _ needed  _ to?” Jungkook was still trying to catch his breath. “You fucking  _ needed _ to?” 

Taehyung lowered his head. 

“You almost fucking  _ killed _ me you fucking asshole.” 

“Stop screaming, you fucking  _ child _ !” Taehyung was angry. 

“I'm a child?” Jungkook was screaming even louder. “I'M A FUCKING CHILD?” 

“You are throwing a tantrum.” Taehyung closed his eyes and sighed. “This is something children do.” 

Jungkook snapped. He grabbed Taehyung by the neck and held it tight. His eyes showed the shock in his face. It was as if Jungkook had done the worst thing he could ever do. And he probably did. Taehyung and touching was not something that could be done. He was allowed to touch whatever he felt like. But no one could touch him back, not without a cost. 

“I almost  _ fucking _ died, I just  _ fucking _ lost my brother, got  _ fucking _ shot and now you come in here and try to  _ fucking _ kill me too.” Jungkook was breathless. “Don't you think I have a damn good  _ fucking _ reason to throw a  _ fucking _ tantrum if I  _ fucking _ want to?” 

“Jungkook.” Taehyung had a pained expression and a weird tone. “Let go.” 

“Or what?” Jungkook was being a brat. “Are you going to kill me for real this time?” 

Taehyung's face was contorted. It looked almost like he was experiencing excruciating pain, but he did not do anything. He just  _ asked _ . His hands did not go up to Jungkook’s arms. He did not hurt him to free himself. He stood there with pain on his face. And then it finally hit him. Jungkook understood what this was. Taehyung was  _ begging _ him. He immediately let go and Taehyung held his own neck. His fingers brushing the skin almost compulsively. 

“I…” Jungkook choked. 

“Thank you.” Taehyung was still rubbing his own skin. 

“Does it hurt?” Jungkook was afraid of the answer but he asked anyway. 

“Yes.” Taehyung was not looking at him. “A lot.”

How had everything turned upside down like this? First, Taehyung almost killed Jungkook with that crazy act of his, if that was even an act. And now both men were sitting on the floor and Jungkook was worried he had hurt the other. This was one step away from clinically insane and he knew it. Still he was a bigger fool than he had anticipated. He was a fool that had fallen for a fucking psycho. So in the end, he would end up ignoring everything that had happened just because he was caught up in the shitstorm of feelings he had for Kim Taehyung. 

“I am not going to forgive you.” Jungkook sighed. 

“Don't.” Taehyung was as resolute. “I would not even dare to ask that of you.” 

“You should leave.” Jungkook began to stand up, the pain on his shoulder was almost splitting. “And don’t come back.” 

This hurt as much as the bullet hole in his shoulder. This was the end of something that had never even begun, but it was done. They had reached their limit. Maybe not Taehyung, but Jungkook certainly had. He was done with the pain people insisted on inflicting on him. Not only the physical one, but the psychological one too. And no one fucked him psychologically as much as Kim Taehyung. This had to stop at some point. He was done. 

“I won't.” Taehyung turned to leave. 

Jungkook wanted to say something but there was not a thing that could be said. This would not solve itself. They lived worlds apart and Jungkook had finally understood it. Taehyung was supposed to be in his private dark world while Jungkook was not fit for this or his world. He was exactly like Seulgi had said,  _ unfamiliar _ . 

\--

Jungkook did not see Taehyung after that night. He had left and was nowhere to be found, no matter how hard he looked for him. He had tried asking Seokjin and even Junmyeon about it, but neither of them was very happy when he asked such a question. Things had become extremely gloomy in that house. Junmyeon was famous for his smile, yet Jungkook had not seen it in a while. Seokjin was even colder and distant. Something had certainly happened, but Jungkook would have to find out for himself. They had been working together to take care of Namjoon’s territories now that he had been killed. Jungkook had no recollection of his death. He just remembered Jimin being killed by Jin. Kook shook his head at the memory. 

The new year was the following night and Jungkook had a bad feeling about it. A very bad one. He had been standing in the front of the house smoking when someone touched his shoulder. Kook was a bit startled and choked on the smoke. Kang Seulgi was staring at him. She had been shot badly the other day, so Jungkook did not expect to see her so soon. Yet, there she was. 

“You are still alive.” She said at last. “Interesting.” 

“Why?” Jungkook still did not like her. “Should I be dead?” 

“It would make more sense.” She laughed softly. 

“What exactly do you want?” Jungkook did not have any patience to deal with her little sarcastic remarks. 

“Nothing much.” Seulgi smiled. “Just warn you.”

“Warn me?” Jungkook was curious. 

“You should stop trying to find him.” She extended her hand, asking for a cigarette. “It will not end well.” 

_ How did she know? _

Jungkook was really  _ not _ in the mood and this woman kept on talking shit. She was truly annoying. 

“You know, Seulgi.” Jungkook inhaled deeply. “I really don’t give a  _ fuck _ about what you think. If it were up to me, I would have shot you dead in that building.” 

“Feisty.” She laughed loudly. “I like it.”

“Not feisty.” Jungkook exhaled the cloud of smoke directly to her face. “I just find you annoying.”

Jungkook turned and left. If her plan was to keep him away, well she was in for a treat. Jungkook was going to find out what the fuck those people were planning behind his back. If he found Taehyung in the process, he would deal with that later. Now it was time to dig up information. As soon as Jungkook got to the front of the house, he encountered Junmyeon and Sehun. Chanyeol was still missing. Jungkook had found out he was not dead, when Junmyeon sent someone to retrieve the body and this person returned empty handed. Chanyeol was AWOL and ever since, his mood had been foul. 

“Jungkook-ssi.” Junmyeon was still not smiling. “Where were you?” 

“Smoking.” Jungkook was in a bad mood. “Has something happened?” 

“Apparently, Yoongi has resurfaced.” Junmyeon sighed. “We will take care of it. Stay put.”

_ Put my ass. _

Jungkook nodded and watched as both men and their security staff left in their cars. Kook was not going to miss this. It was probably the worst idea he had ever had, but he was going to follow them. The car Seokjin had been using was parked next to him, but he had to figure out a way to grab the keys from him. 

He headed back inside hurriedly and went straight for the office. Seokjin was sitting reading a book, his face was even shittier than before. He lifted his head as soon as he saw Jungkook enter the room. He was a bit breathless. His brother arched his brow and put the book aside. It was as if he knew something was going on. He had that particular look on his face that Jungkook knew meant that Seokjin was aware of everything. 

“I need your car keys.” Jungkook took a deep breath. 

“For?” Seokjin was intrigued. 

“I just need them.” Jungkook was annoyed. 

“Are you on your way to do something stupid?” 

“Will you stop me?” Jungkook was rather surprised. 

“You know, Jungkook.” Seokjin stood up. “Bad decisions have bad consequences.” 

“Seokjin,” Jungkook was not in the mood for his lecture. “I don’t really give a fuck about your lectures anymore.” 

Seokjin fished out the keys and handed them to his little brother. 

“You want to know where Junmyeon went.” Seokjin sighed. 

“Just tell me already.” Jungkook was seriously impatient. 

“I am going with you.” Seokjin walked past him. “You're too stupid to make it out alive if something actually happens.” 

Jungkook rolled his eyes so deep he managed to see his own brain. Seokjin was a pain in the ass, but he was actually helping him. He had no plan nor really a reason to go to that meeting. But Jungkook just felt like he had to be there. That little encounter seemed to have a lot of the answers he was looking for. Or maybe not. Maybe this was just a stupid move that would get him and his brother killed. Maybe Taehyung would not even be there. Why was he thinking about him? That fucker had almost killed him and Jungkook knew he was deeply involved in the shady things that had happened so far. He remembered every single thing Jimin had said that day. He said it was Taehyung. It was  _ all _ Taehyung. But what did Jimin know? This was the time to find out and he would stop at nothing. 

Seokjin started the car and pulled Jungkook out of his little daze. He had a serious face and Kook knew his brother knew more than he was sharing. Maybe he could try to get something from him. Probably not. Seokjin was not stupid and would sense that Jungkook was fishing for answers. Would he ever let him inside the loop? That did not seem like his intention, but he had to try. 

"Why have you been trying to get yourself killed?" Seokjin was slightly smiling. This was weird. 

"What do you mean?" Jungkook tried to sound dismissive. He knew Seokjin was aware of his investigation. 

"You have spent the last days looking into things about Taehyung, Junmyeon and me." 

"Yes." There was no point in denying it. 

"Are you trying to find out where he is?" 

"I don't care about him." Jungkook scoffed. "I just want to know exactly what he did." 

"Why?" Seokjin arched an eyebrow. "Are you capable of doing anything to him if he turns out to be involved?" 

"Why wouldn't I?" Jungkook tried to sound assertive. 

"There is a reason why he has so much power and why people fear him, Jungkook." Seokjin was staring at his brother with a calm look in his face. 

"Power." Jungkook scoffed. "He's just someone following someone else's orders. Just like you or me." 

Seokjin stopped and stared at his brother. His look was grim. Jungkook knew this meant his brother knew much more than what he was telling and he would not say a single word about it. Still, something was coming and he could feel it. 

"He is  _ nothing _ like you or me." Seokjin's tone was dark. "He is just a bloodthirsty psychopath." 

Jungkook did not dare to answer. In truth, he knew it was true. Taehyung was not someone you could trust, but neither was Junmyeon. Jungkook had overhead a series of his conversations and they were all the same. He was not interested in allying with Seokjin or Jungkook. He wanted Seoul for himself, so when the time came, he would get rid of them. Kook did not disclose this to his brother, but he had a faint idea that Seokjin knew all about it. The main question was, would he do anything about it? It was likely that Jin already had a plan and maybe it involved getting rid of Junmyeon. At first, Jungkook thought he was working with Taehyung, but after his last remark, he was now certain that he was probably going to try to kill the other man in the process.

They drove around for a few more minutes until Seokjin entered an alley and turned off the car. Jungkook was slightly confused but he trusted his brother enough to stay silent. Jin looked around and sighed. Something was wrong. 

"Jungkook." Seokjin stared at him with a serious face. "Do not make assumptions based on whatever you hear or see. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Jungkook nodded. 

Both men stepped out of the car and walked towards one of the backdoors in that alley. Seokjin entered a code and Jungkook was even more confused. How did he know the code to that place? He walked in front of him and up a set of stairs. At the top, there was a small room. There was nothing inside it, except for a small glass window that looked into another room. The moment Jungkook looked at the scene on the other side, he dropped to the ground. In the other room, Yoongi and Junmyeon were sitting at a table. Sehun was standing in the corner of the room. His eyes focused on his boss. Maybe  _ too _ focused. 

"Stand up." Seokjin ordered. 

"But they..." Jungkook was interrupted. 

"This window is tinted. They cannot see us but we can see them." He sighed. 

Jungkook slowly stood up and looked carefully into the other room. It was a casino of sorts, probably one of the places that belonged to the now extinct Choi family. It was a large room filled with machines and gambling tables. They were sitting at the very far back at this large round table. The whole place looked ominous and strange. 

Since Yoongi was the one who had set up the meeting, it would make sense for him to stay inside Namjoon's former territory. Now that Junmyeon controlled the whole city, there was no place he did not own. But it would still take a few days for people to adjust to the changes. So, technically, this was still Namjoon's territory. 

"How did you know about this place?" Jungkook was shocked. 

Seokjin turned to his brother and pressed a small button on the wall. Suddenly, he could hear Yoongi's voice and Junmyeon's small laughter. 

"I set up this meeting." Seokjin stared into the window. 

"You?" Jungkook was confused. 

"Greedy people are easily controlled." Seokjin hissed. "And the people sitting at that table are as greedy as it gets."

"Why?" 

"Why did I put them in that room together?" Seokjin was back in his calm demeanour. 

"Yes." Jungkook was curious. 

"Because they won't make it out alive." Seokjin had a dark look on his face. It was unsettling. 

"Junmyeon-ssi," Yoongi spoke. "You may have won against Namjoon, but don't think this is over." 

"Yoongi-ssi," Junymeon was smiling again. "I don't think you are in the position to threaten anyone." 

"This is not a threat." Yoongi scoffed. "This is a warning.  _ You _ of all people should be careful." 

"Oh, really?" Junmyeon tilted his head. "And why is that?" 

"People are fully aware of who that kid is." Yoongi leaned closer. "You still have to deal with that." 

"We may share blood, Yoongi-ssi" Junmyeon laughed loudly. "But he is not going to be around for much longer." 

_ What? _

"I would be careful if I were you." Yoongi also laughed. "There is someone protecting him."

"Seokjin?" Junmyeon looked at Sehun and then back at Yoongi. "I admit I grew fond of him and let him live longer than I intended, but it is time to let him go, too." 

"He is not someone you can easily get rid of." Yoongi seemed satisfied. "Even Old Kim tried and did not succeed." 

Jungkook was startled. Old Kim was their father and Seokjin had admitted he was the one who killed him. Was it because his own father had tried to have him killed? Who exactly was Kim Seokjin? The confusion in his head was even stronger. 

"A lot of people have tried to get rid of him, myself included." Yoongi leaned back in his chair, arms crossed in front of his chest. "But the fucker simply won't die." 

"He is smart and resourceful." Junmyeon's smile was not as bright. "He would not have survived this far if he wasn't." 

"I can help you." Yoongi smiled. 

"You must be  _ truly _ mad at him." Junmyeon was spilling his venom. "Especially after what he did to Jimin-ssi." 

Jungkook could see Seokjin stiffen at the mention of his brother's name. He had killed Jimin and Kook knew that his brother was deeply affected by it. It was not easy for him, so he could only imagine how Seokjin felt. 

"Do  _ not _ push my buttons, Junmyeon." Yoongi hissed. 

"Fine, fine." His smile was gone. "What do you suggest?"

"We do not have to do much." Yoongi stared blankly at the other man. "We just need the man his little brother has been fucking, Kim Taehyung." 

Jungkook stared at his brother again and swallowed hard. Seokjin was staring back at him, but he did not seem menacing. It was as if he was disappointed, which made things even worse. 

"I will not comment on that." Seokjin stared back into the other room. 

"And why do we need him?" Junmyeon was curious.

"Because he has the star, Junmyeon-ssi." 

Jungkook saw both his brother and Junmyeon gasp. This was seriously bad. If even Seokjin was startled by it, it meant Taehyung had done something no one imagined. Jungkook was gawking into the other room. He was scared.  _ Truly _ scared. Jimin's words came back to his mind. This meant Taehyung had indeed been behind things this whole time. Just exactly what was his plan? Had he planned everything from the start? Who was he working with? And then he heard it, that deep voice that made him shiver. 

"I thought it would be harder to put you three inside a room like this." Taehyung was smiling. "I have to thank Seokjin for that." Taehyung stared into the window and the three men followed his gaze. 

Jungkook trembled hard as he stared into those men's faces. Did they know he was there? Their focus did not last long as they stared back at Taehyung who was walking in their direction. 

Yoongi, Sehun and Junmyeon pulled out their guns. But Taehyung was not alone. He was accompanied by around 15 men and they all had guns. As soon as the three men realized they were fucked, they lowered their guns and gritted their teeth as Taehyung laughed loudly. 

"Now." He pulled out his gun and aimed at them. "You all have been really fucking annoying." 

Taehyung turned his gun and shot Yoongi on the shoulder. The man fell to the floor and two of Taehyung's men pulled him back and out of Jungkook's line of sight. He could still hear him screaming.

"Junmyeon-ssi." Taehyung took Yoongi's seat. "You have been a very bad boy."

"What do you want, Taehyung-ssi?" 

"Me?" Taehyung laughed and then he pulled the trigger again.

This time the bullet went through Sehun's leg. The tall man hit the wall and slowly slid down, falling to the ground in pain. Junmyeon was in panic. His face gave him away. The angel of Seoul was trying hard not to show his displease, but he was now clearly bothered by Sehun being shot. He gritted his teeth and stared at Taehyung. 

"What do  _ I _ want?" Taehyung leaned back on the chair. "I want you to suffer, darling."

"You're such a poisonous snake, aren't you?" Junmyeon was furious. "You think you can get away with this?" 

"I already did, Junmyeon-ssi." Taehyung ran his fingers along his gun. "You two are not going to be around for longer." 

"You little shit!" Sehun cursed. 

"Let me tell you what will happen from now on." Taehyung stood up again. "Junmyeon darling, I will make you watch as I skin your lover boy alive. Make you see him suffer for as long as I feel like it and then I will let you stare at his cold, stiff dead body as you slowly bleed out." 

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Junmyeon screamed. "I WILL KILL YOU!" 

Jungkook could hear the despair in his voice. He could see that man being broken. In the end, he was right. The look Junmyeon gave Sehun was more than just looks. There was affection in them. There was love in them and Taehyung also knew this. That was why he said that. He broke Junmyeon by threatening to take away what he loved the most. This was evil and the fact that Taehyung smiled through all that was disgusting. Jungkook's face was pale. 

Taehyung had a wicked smile on his lips and the sight made Jungkook want to throw up. This was what Seokjin had in mind with all this. He wanted Jungkook to see this, see that man. He had planned everything and, as always, Kook was the last to understand. He knew Taehyung would do this and he wanted Jungkook to sit in the front row as he watched the man he had feelings for show his true colours. 

"Come on now," Taehyung sat back again and stared into the bloody duo. "You are the one to blame here." 

"I will kill that kid, Taehyung" Junmyeon growled. "I will make him suffer so much and I'm going to record it all so you can watch it over and over again." 

"You would kill your own family, Junmyeon?" Taehyung was being sarcastic. "Jungkook is your little cousin for fuck’s sake. Don't you even respect that?" 

_ Cousin? _

_ I am his what? _

_ What the fuck is going on?  _

"I will end both of you!" Junmyeon pulled Sehun even closer. "Mark my words, Taehyung." 

"Junmyeon-ssi." Taehyung was smiling again. "Stop trying to touch what is  _ mine _ ." 

Taehyung aimed his gun and shot Junmyeon in the leg as well. The man grunted at the pain. Then more men came and took both Junmyeon and Sehun away, just like they had done with Yoongi. Jungkook was staring into that scene like he was magically stuck. He could not move an inch. His head would not turn and his eyes would not blink. He was stuck in that murderous scene looking at the murderer with blank eyes. It was as if his soul had left his body. 

He stared at Taehyung as he turned and walked towards the window. The smile on his face did not fade or falter. He was staring into Jungkook's eyes as if he could actually see them. As if there was no glass between them. He could smell him. He could actually smell the metallic sweet scent of Taehyung. His stomach turned again as he stared into those dark eyes. Jungkook was terrified, but frozen in place. Taehyung finally stopped. 

"Seokjin-ssi." He smiled with murderous eyes. "You are next." 

Taehyung laughed softly and turned to leave. 


	31. PAST

Jungkook stared at that room for a few more moments before he finally came back to reality. Seokjin was pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed. Kook did not know what to feel. On one side, he had a murderous psychopath who killed everyone he laid his eyes on and, on the other side, his manipulative brother who had taken him there just so he could watch. Jungkook was not stupid. Both those men were playing dangerous games and he was quite aware that he was a pawn in both games. He felt used. Played by the people he blindly chose to trust. 

"Jungkook." Seokjin called him. 

"I don't want to hear a word." Jungkook did not look at his brother. "You two...You are the same."

"Excuse me?" Seokjin was angry. 

"Don't play the saint, Seokjin." Jungkook sighed. "You wanted me to come.  _ Needed _ me to come. You used me as much as he did. Don't you dare lie to me." 

"I did not  _ use _ you, Jungkook." Seokjin arched his brow. "I only showed you the truth that you insisted on ignoring, even though it had been right in front of you this whole time." 

"And now what?" Jungkook hissed. "You expect me to come running home and be by your side? You killed Jimin. You killed our father. What will prevent you from killing me?" 

"Nothing." Seokjin stepped closer. "I will kill you if I have to." 

"And you still think you are better than him?" Jungkook stepped closer to his brother. "You two deserve each other."

"I will not warn you again." Seokjin pinched his brother's chin and tilted his head up. "Do  _ not _ compare me with that man."

Jungkook had had enough of it all. Seokjin was truly a fox in sheep's clothing, but he stupidly decided to ignore that fact. Jimin had warned him. He warned him for years, but Jungkook always felt his brother had a reason for all he did. Now he knew the sole reason was his lust for power and his lack of empathy. He should've known. He should have realized before. All those feelings began to burn inside of him and he did not mean to do it, but in the end he had punched Seokjin so hard that he was now panting as he stared at his older brother sitting on the floor with his hand on his cheek. 

"Don't be so fucking full of yourself, Seokjin." Jungkook growled. 

He was done,  _ so _ done. They all played their fucked up game while he got caught in the middle of it all. He was done with both those men. They were two disgusting psychopaths that only cared about their nasty plans and killing people on their climb to the throne. They would not use him anymore. He was going back home. He was done with Seoul and all those people. No place ever felt like home, but at least in Busan he would not have to deal with those two fuckers. Not for a while. 

Jungkook turned to leave as his brother remained on the ground. This felt fresh- hitting Seokjin like that felt good. After years of being the one being hit, he really did deserve that punch. He went down the stairs and out the door into the alley where they had parked the car. Jungkook could not take Seokjin's car, because his brother had the keys. So he just looked to one side and the other of the alleyway a bit unsure of what to do. 

"Are you lost?" It was a woman's voice and she was extremely sarcastic. 

"Seulgi." Jungkook turned to see her smiling at him. 

"Yes." She was always extremely menacing, even with a smile on her face. "Come." 

She began to walk out of the alley and back into the street. Jungkook was unsure if he should follow her or not. It was not like she was better than Seokjin or Taehyung. No one in that city could be trusted and he had learned that in a very hard way. 

"Why would I follow you?" Jungkook managed to say. 

"I have orders." Her smile faded. "You will come with me either way." 

"Orders?" Jungkook was confused. Had  _ Yowang _ ordered her to get him? 

"Yes." She began to walk again. "Move." 

Jungkook was no match for someone like Seulgi. The best he could do was run and even then he would end up shot or dead. So it sounded safer to follow her even if it was only safe for 5 seconds. It was better than having to deal with the aftermath of the Seokjin punch. Jungkook shivered at the memory. His brother would be extremely pissed and he was probably going to break all of his fingers if they saw each other now. Seulgi was the safest option.  _ Or not. _

They walked back to her car and as soon as he got in, they drove off. Jungkook felt as if he would die inside that car. She drove like a mad woman and had no intention of slowing down. This was during the day so he could only imagine how she drove in the middle of the night when there was no one in the streets. The thought made him tremble. In no time they arrived at a building.  _ His _ building. Jungkook had not set foot in this place for a long time and it now felt strange. 

Seulgi went down to the garage and parked the car. Jungkook stared at her, still afraid. How did she know about this place? But then again, it's not like someone like her could not find this information somewhere. She stepped out of the car and looked at Jungkook who was frozen in place. It was probably still the fear from her driving. 

"Move." She ordered. 

Jungkook did not say anything, but obeyed. They both walked towards the elevator and then into the corridor of his floor. Jungkook did not even realize she had been the one who had pressed the button. He trembled slightly. She knew everything. When they got to the door, he reached out to put the code but she beat him to it, entering the numbers as fast as anyone could. Like she did that every single day. Jungkook was startled. She opened the door for him and gestured for him to enter the apartment. Jungkook only obeyed, afraid she might do something to him. 

He walked into the living room and then turned to look back at her. She had a smile on her face, but she was staring at Jungkook's bedroom door, almost expectant. He was sure something was about to happen. The door suddenly opened. 

"Aren't you happy to see me, baby?" Taehyung and his unique voice sounded behind him. 

Jungkook turned slowly only to see the man cleaning the blood on his hands with a white towel. Jungkook's towel. The one embroidered with a deep blue  _ JJ. _

"Why are you here?" Jungkook almost choked on his own saliva. 

"I missed you." Taehyung had his malicious smile on his lips. 

"What the fuck do you want?" Jungkook stepped backwards. 

"Calm down, baby." Taehyung stared at Seulgi and she quickly left the apartment. "I just want to talk." 

"We have nothing to talk about." Jungkook stepped even further. Taehyung was still holding onto the bloody towel. 

" _ Ugh _ ." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Do you really have to act like that?"

"You  _ knew _ I was in that room, didn't you?" Jungkook sat down on the couch and crossed his arms. 

"Yes." 

"Why?" Jungkook was holding back the urge to scream at him. 

"Why what?" Taehyung tilted his head.

"Why did you do all that?" Jungkook hissed. "Why did you say that?" 

"Why not?" Taehyung laughed. "They all knew what was coming. They all knew I would eventually come for them. They just did not know it would be so soon." 

"And Seokjin?" 

"Let me tell you something." Taehyung was pissed. "That fucked up cunt likes to act all poised and clean. But do you know what he likes to do in his spare time? Do you have any idea who Seokjin  _ truly _ is?"

"You two are just two fucked up pieces of shit." Jungkook growled. 

"Oh, baby." Taehyung stepped closer. "Your brother, I mean, Seokjin is much worse than I am. When you look at me, you  _ know _ I'm fucked up. He likes tricking people into thinking he is some pure soul that does not like blood on his hands." 

"He isn't." Jungkook scoffed. 

"Exactly." Taehyung was now only a few steps from him. "He is a  _ very _ fucked up person." 

"So are you." 

"When have I ever hid that from you?" Taehyung threw the towel on the floor and looked at his hands. They were still red. 

Jungkook could only stare at him as he strode towards him. He truly wanted to move, but he couldn't. Taehyung sat down in his lap and grabbed him by the neck, making Jungkook gasp for air. It was not strong, it was what he did best. The unique touch and grasp he had. He licked Jungkook's ear and made him shiver. 

"Listen to me, baby." Taehyung whispered. "You will do as I say, understand?" 

Jungkook remained silent. This was too confusing. Part of him wanted to push Taehyung away, but the other part wanted more. He was still wrapped up around his finger and he knew it, but he still had to fight it and that was extremely hard. Taehyung grabbed his neck tighter, making him gasp for air again. Jungkook hummed. 

"Good." Taehyung was back on his whispering. "This city is yours." 

_ Mine? _

Jungkook was confused.  _ Extremely _ confused. 

"But for you to take it, the others have to be gone." Taehyung licked his ear again and he shivered. "Seokjin included."

Jungkook tilted his head back. Fighting against the desire was extremely hard and it was a battle he was not so sure that he wanted to win. 

"I have taken them all out for you." Jungkook could feel Taehyung smiling. "But I cannot take him out alone. I need your help. Will you help me, baby?" 

"No." Jungkook mumbled and Taehyung sat back upright, staring at him.

"No?" He tilted his head. 

"I won't help you kill him." Jungkook stared at Taehyung. "If you want to do it, be my guest. But I will not help you with your shit."

"You know he plans to kill us both tomorrow, right?" Taehyung had his smile back on. 

"I'm leaving today." Jungkook pushed Taehyung out of his lap and stood up. "You two can kill each other. I don't care. I don't want this city. I don't want him near me and I certainly don't want you anymore."

"What?" Taehyung sounded extremely confused. 

"I don't fucking want you anymore, you self-centered  _ dick _ ." Jungkook pushed him. "Wasn't that what you wanted? For me to leave you alone? Congratulations, you asshole, you finally got what you wanted." 

"Are you really going to leave, Jungkook?" Taehyung sounded almost hurt. 

"Yes." Jungkook was also hurt, but he had to hide it. "I am leaving this place to whoever survives." 

"I see." Taehyung stepped back. He entered Jungkook's room again and he could hear drawers being opened. When the other man came back, he had a small black box in his hand. "Take it." 

Jungkook stared at it. What was that? He was utterly confused and suspicious. Trust was no longer something he had in Taehyung. So now he had to assume that his every move was part of his game to kill him. 

"What is it?" Jungkook frowned. 

"It belongs to you." Taehyung grabbed Kook's hand and put the box in it. "It was your mother's." 

_ What the fuck? _

Jungkook opened it and his mouth was agape. It was a small star pendant studded with gemstones. The star he had picked up from Namjoon's safe. The one they were all fighting for. Taehyung had just given it to him and it belonged to the woman who had abandoned him. What the fuck was going on? 

"Why?" Jungkook could only stare at the pendant.

"Are you curious?" Taehyung smirked as he walked past him and sat on the couch. 

"Speak." Jungkook was still staring at that little star in his hand. 

"A long time ago, there were three original Families." Taehyung sighed. "Busan with the Kims. Daegu with the Mins and lastly, there was Seoul."

"Namjoon's family." Jungkook finally turned to look at Taehyung. 

"Those three were extremely powerful and they ruled over the whole of South Korea. Other families feared them and did not even try to rebel because they knew it was impossible." Taehyung clicked his tongue. "The whole problem began when the second biggest family of Seoul decided to make a deal with the Thai. They became extremely big after they gained money and influence over other parts of Asia. Namjoon's family was worried that they might try to take over the city so both families made an agreement. The eldest son and the heir was to marry the eldest daughter."

"Namjoon's father and my mother." Jungkook sighed. 

"Exactly." Taehyung had a smug smile on his face. "Soon the Kims of Seoul became the most powerful family in Seoul and South Korea. That was until you showed up. In an attempt to end the Kim family, someone decided to spread a rumor that your mother had cheated on Old Kim with Seokjin's father."

"Did she?" Jungkook was curious. He was finally discovering who he was. 

"No." Taehyung pinched the bridge of his nose. "But Old Kim was not pleased with the talking. He couldn't just kill Seokjin's father because that would start a war, so he decided to kill her and then do something about you. But before he could do anything, your mother fled and headed for Busan. Where she begged Seokjin's father to take you in." 

"No one thought it was weird that he suddenly showed up with a kid?" Jungkook was mad.

"That's a story for another day." Taehyung smiled.

"Is she dead?" Jungkook needed to know. 

"Yes." Taehyung stared at the ground. "Old Min had her killed on behalf of Namjoon's father. The agreement was ended and the city was divided into two parts."

"Were you the one who killed her?" Jungkook had his hands on a fist. 

"Seriously?" Taehyung was mad. "When she died I was still starving in the streets of Daegu, okay? Fuck you." 

Jungkook opened his hands again. 

"After the whole agreement was over, Old Min, Yoongi's father and my benefactor, proposed an agreement between Busan, Daegu and Seoul. So that the three of them could rule the country with their fucked up moral compass."

"And?" 

"In order to make sure none of them fucked the other over, they created a book that contained all of their transgressions and illegal shit. In their stupid mind, this book meant that if one of them went down, the other two would too. hus the star. After things became computerized, Namjoon's father, that sentimental fuck, decided to transform the star pendant he had held on to, into a flashdrive."

"A what?" Jungkook was shocked. 

"Don't act stupid on me now. I am not in the mood." Taehyung hissed. "The star is the old book and the new one. It has not been updated since Seokjin killed his father but it has everything from the moment the book was created up until his death. He was the last one who had the original star, but I took it from him a while before he died. Seokjin, Namjoon and Junmyeon have never touched the real deal."

"What do you mean by ‘the original star’?" 

"When Namjoon's father died, the star was given to Yoongi's father and when he was murdered it was given to Seokjin's father. It would have been perfect for him, because after his father died, he would inherit it."

"Seokjin would be the most powerful man in South Korea."

"It would have been true if it wasn't for me." Taehyung laughed. "Old Kim was not stupid. He knew what Seokjin was up to so when he went down to Daegu for the last time, he met with Jimin's mother. She was extremely intelligent, so she understood immediately what would happen soon. She knew that as soon as the old man died, Seokjin would try to kill her son, so she tried to make Jimin take his place and kill him first."

"Jimin actually tried?" Jungkook was scared of the answer. 

"No." Taehyung sighed. "He was too smart to play Seokjin's little game. So he sat down with Yoongi and devised a plan to steal the star before Seokjin could touch it. Sadly for them, the only person Yoongi trusted for the job was me."

"Seokjin killed Old Kim because of the star?" Jungkook's stomach turned twice. 

"Nothing is as fucked up as Seokjin and his father. Old Kim tried to kill Seokjin many times and his son tried to kill him a number of times. Their attempts would get even more brutal and gruesome as time went by. His father was afraid his son would steal his empire from him and Seokjin was done with the way his father ruled. Me and him became close because he wanted me to help him get rid of his father."

"Did you?" Jungkook needed to know the truth. 

"I never touched him." Taehyung seemed angry. "I respected him. But I did help Seokjin make officials rule his death as natural." 

"Why?" Jungkook was extremely hurt by what he had learned. 

"Because I had to make him trust me." Taehyung stared at him. "I needed him by my side." 

"So you are trying to be the good guy by telling me all this?" Jungkook was mad. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Taehyung rolled his eyes. "I just shot three people and explained I would skin a person alive. Are you seriously asking me if I am trying to be the  _ good guy _ ?" 

"You are a snake." Jungkook hissed. "This is all part of your plan and now that you told me all of this you expect me to ignore all the shitty things you have done and stand by your side." 

"I wouldn't mind." Taehyung smiled maliciously. "But if you want to take the easy road and be a coward, go ahead.  _ Leave _ ."

"Excuse me?" 

"Seokjin will find you in less than a day and that's  _ if _ you find a good place to hide." Taehyung was laughing loudly. "When he finds you, he will torture and kill you. Just like he did with everyone else." 

_ Everyone else? _

"You say this like you were any different from him." Jungkook had fire in his eyes. 

"I am not." Taehyung arched his brow. The smile was still there. "That's why I know what he did and what he is capable of doing. I never hid who I was. I never made people believe I was any different from a murderous psychopath. But unlike him, you are not on my list."

"What's with the generosity?" 

"Jungkook," Taehyung stood up. "If I wanted you dead, I would have made you choke on my cock that night. I didn't. And I still don't have any intention of killing you." 

"Because you need me alive." 

" _ I _ need  _ you _ ? Let me explain something to you, Jungkook" Taehyung stepped closer, malicious smile all over his lips. "None of us need you for anything, you are just useful. But that doesn't mean I want to kill you." 

"How thoughtful of you." Sarcasm was the only thing he could do now. "You are such a nice guy, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am." Taehyung let his fingers touch Jungkook's neck, his index brushing lightly against the skin. "I am the  _ only _ person who doesn't want you dead."

"Why?" Jungkook was fighting the urge to tilt his head and show Taehyung his neck. 

"Because somehow you sparked my interest." Taehyung's fingers were making their way up to Jungkook's mouth, contouring his lips. 

"Are you seriously trying to make me have sex with you?" Jungkook was shocked with Taehyung's attitude. 

"Baby," Taehyung leaned closer and put his lips next to Jungkook's ear. "You can  _ always _ say no." 

_ Fuck. _

Taehyung was not someone who Jungkook could ignore. He was not trustworthy either, but if there was something he excelled at was the power to make Jungkook bend to his needs. He was a fool. A complete and utter fool, but even fools have desires. Even fools want what they cannot have. For this fool, that was Taehyung. He could never have that man, not entirely. But he loved the small doses he would get from time to time.

Their kiss was always something that blew Jungkook's mind. The way that tongue was able to occupy every single inch of his mouth and he would still be able to breath. The way those slim and long fingers took off his clothes with the utmost ability. How he could be so immersed in one person that he forgot about everything else. He couldn't even touch the man as his hand went up and down on his body, but it still felt as if the touch did not matter. Everything else was gone the moment Taehyung touched him.  _ Such a fool _ . 

"Do you want it?" Taehyung had pulled back from the kiss. 

Jungkook could only stare breathless at the other man. He was fighting himself. Half of him told him to stay away and the other half was mad they still had so many layers of clothes to take off. Jungkook had suddenly become mute and this was bad. This meant he had no power whatsoever. He was completely bewitched by Taehyung. 

"Jungkook, answer me." The malicious smile was there but his tone was serious. 

"Yes, sir."

"Good, baby." Taehyung pulled him by the collar, tilting his head back as he stared into his eyes. "I  _ love _ when you obey." 

This was probably the last time Jungkook would see Taehyung, so he might as well enjoy it. Their little obedience act was good.  _ So _ good. Kook clearly wanted more than that. He wanted to actually feel like Taehyung cared about him, but this was his greedy side speaking. He would never get such a thing from that man. They would never interact like that. In fact, they would not interact ever again. This was truly the last time. 

The tongue was back in his mouth, twirling around and almost choking him. Jungkook couldn't help moaning at its movement. It was just  _ so _ good. Jungkook's shirt was slightly open, Taehyung had opened the buttons while they were making out. He couldn't really touch Taehyung so he couldn't open his shirt- this was a bit annoying. Kook was in the mood for fun and he knew he would get that from Taehyung. The young man backed away from the kiss and stared for a second. He smiled slightly. 

Jungkook sank onto the floor by Taehyung's feet. That granted him a glare as he looked up to the other man. He had that smile of his on his lips, the one Jungkook could never ignore. 

"That's what you want?" Taehyung arched an eyebrow. 

Yes, that was exactly what he wanted. It was dirty and low, but no one could do it like the man he was staring at. No one could make him feel like that. Kook hummed but the other man was not satisfied, so he  gripped a handful of Jungkook’s hair and clenched his fingers tightly. He forcibly tilted his head back and made him look at him. He wanted an answer. 

"Y-yes, sir." Jungkook managed to blurt out. 

Taehyung was not to be touched, so he was the one who opened his button and unzipped his pants, letting them drop down to the ground. Jungkook could only stare. He wanted this- he wanted everything about this. His cock twitched inside his pants. It was already hard and sticky. He could feel his own pants getting wet. Taehyung pushed his underwear down and now his cock was staring back at Jungkook. Big and wet. 

"Suck me, baby." Taehyung ordered at last and Jungkook obeyed.

He slipped his lips over the soft head, sucking lightly enough that when it popped through the ring made by his lips, he moaned. His hands were resting on his thighs. All he wanted was to grab Taehyung by the thighs and choke on him, make him touch the back of his throat like he had done that first time. Still, he couldn’t control the situation. 

Kook slowly worked his way to the base and then he felt the hand grab his hair tight. This was Taehyung's part. He controlled the rhythm and he was the one who controlled how much air Jungkook could get. This was the exciting part about it. The  _ good _ part. Taehyung's grip on Kook’s hair tightened as he controlled the pace. Jungkook looked up to see the moment Taehyung’s cock sealed off his ability to inhale and he choked. He couldn’t help but moan at the situation.

_ Fuck. Yes. God. _

This was the moment things would get interesting. The pace became faster and more violent. There was spit flowing from his lips. He was choking and gasping for air at the same time. His mouth completely filled by Taehyung's cock that insistently hit the back of his throat. The pain was sweet, it made him bubble with desire.  _ More. Fuck. More. _ Everytime it hit the spot he moaned and Taehyung groaned at the sight, making his cock twitch even more. He was all wet from his own pre-cum and all he wanted was to ride that wave of desire. Jungkook would always do whatever that man told him to, made him do. All because in moments like this, he knew that it was Taehyung who owned him. 

"Fuck, baby." Jungkook looked up to see Taehyung with his eyes closed and head tilted back. "If you keep it up like this, I might just come in your mouth." 

Taehyung's cock choked Jungkook for a couple more times before he pulled out completely, leaving the young man drooling in the pool of spit and tears that he had become. Jungkook whined for more and Taehyung laughed at his pathetic begging. There was spit all over Taehyung. It was disgustingly arousing. Jungkook looked up only to see that malicious smile facing him, his foggy teary eyes screaming with lust.  _ Please fuck me. _

"Undress." Taehyung ordered. 

Jungkook did not have to think twice. He took off his clothes rather quickly, but the reaction he received was not what he expected. Taehyung looked mad. His smile had faded and Jungkook covered himself with his own arms, ashamed of whatever it was that the man was looking at. But then he looked down. He still had bandages and bruises everywhere. He had purple and green bruises all over his torso. There were stitches along his waistline and his shoulder was still covered in bandages. Taehyung had a complicated expression on his face. He walked up to him and touched his body. Tracing the contour of his bruises and stitches. Jungkook flinched at the touch but did not tell him to stop. He  _ liked _ it. It was enticing. 

"Bend over." Taehyung growled. 

Jungkook obeyed. He bent over the couch and perked his ass up, begging to be fucked. Begging Taehyung to  _ use _ him. This was fucked up, but he wanted that again. He needed to feel the thrill of being fucked by him again. Jungkook suddenly felt a finger slide inside. The unexpected surge of pleasure making him scream through gritted teeth.  _ Yes, fuck yes. FUCK. _ He wanted to moan as loud as he could, scream out loud. But he could not. Taehyung would not like it. 

"Fuck." Jungkook moaned. "Yes."

His response to the touch granted him an amused grunt. Taehyung was having fun as well and he knew it. The finger was suddenly gone as Jungkook whined. He knew that it was not over, but he was almost trying to be cute. 

"So greedy." Taehyung teased him. 

And then he was back, his fingers teasing his rim. Making him yearn for the intrusion. Jungkook would thrust in the air, begging for those fingers.  _ So. Fucking. Good _ . Not one but two, slowly filled him up. He let out a loud moan as the other man fingered his insides, making him gape even wider. The long fingers would go in and out, rhythmically. Faster every time.  _ Please. Fuck. Me. _

"Fuck me." Jungkook begged. 

Taehyung just laughed at the begging. He was evil, but this was also hot. It was his little game and Jungkook loved when he did so. He would never admit to it out loud, no one could ever know. But he did like this whole little aggressive act they had when it came to sex. Taehyung dropped both his hands to Jungkook’s cheeks and spread them wide. Jungkook only managed to sink his fingers into the couch's pillow. 

Taehyung did not wait any longer, his cock was shoved inside Jungkook brutally. Every thrust going painfully hard. There was slight pain, but it was numbed down by the desire and pleasure he felt from it.  _ Oh fuck. Yes. Fuck yes. _ Every thrust hitting the spot, making him beg for more. Jungkook could only grind his swollen and sticky cock against the soft material of the couch. His mind was going numb at every thrust. 

"Are you that desperate, baby?" Taehyung teased him. 

Taehyun's hand grabbed him by the waist and pulled him closer at every thrust.  _ Pain _ . It hurt, but Jungkook only felt more pleasure from it, he wanted more. There was no way he could hold it any longer.  _ Fuck. Oh fuck. Yes. Fuck _ . The loud moans probably alarmed the whole building, yet he did not care. He had gotten what he wanted. 

"I'm g-gonna." Jungkook moaned loudly again. "Come." 

The sofa was now all wet and covered in the stickiness from his cum, but Taehyung did not stop thrusting into him. Jungkook was still a bit numb from his orgasm. He was soft and floaty. Riding the wave of endorphins. Taehyung was still there. He could feel the hands pulling him up and with a swift move, Taehyung had placed him sitting on his lap. Jungkook was still dealing with the haziness so he didn't even realize what happened until he was filled again. They were both on the ground as they stared at each other. This was strange. A position like this would mean Jungkook would have to hold onto him. Would have to  _ touch _ him.

"Put your hands around my neck." Taehyung ordered. 

"W-what?" Jungkook was still recovering from the orgasm induced numbness. 

"Move." Taehyung grabbed Jungkook's arms and placed them around his neck. His hands went back to his hips, making him move up and down on his cock. 

The look on Taehyung's face was indescribable. The malicious smile wasn't there, but there was a slight curve on the corner of his lips. His eyes were determined. Still, he could see the discomfort. It was unlike anything he had ever seen on his face. Unlike him. His smell was now as strong as it had ever been. The sweet metallic scent was almost nauseating. Jungkook inhaled hard. 

"Fuck, baby." Taehyung groaned. "Move like that for me." 

Jungkook obeyed, he responded to the hands on his hips. He would go up and down non stop. His hands on the back of Taehyung's neck. The touch felt strange but it felt good. It felt  _ unique _ . 

"I'm gonna fucking come, baby." Taehyung tilted his head back. " _ Fuck _ . Like that." 

The loud groan indicated Taehyung had reached his orgasm. Jungkook was panting as he tilted his head back and rode the after wave of his own orgasm. Suddenly, without any warning, he was pushed to the side with enormous strength. Hitting his head lightly on the floor board. When he looked up, rubbing his bruised head, he saw it. He saw the most threatening man he had ever met, cowering. Taehyung was rubbing his own skin, as he growled. He seemed to be in excruciating pain. He seemed afraid. He was  _ pitiful _ . 


	32. DOG

Jungkook was shocked. He had never seen Taehyung feeling so miserable like that. The man was still rubbing his skin as if he was trying to put out the fire that burnt it. He looked in pain and Jungkook could not touch him to try to help. All he could do was sit and listen to that man grunting in pain. 

"Are you ok?" Jungkook asked, but he was scared of the answer. 

"I'm fine." Taehyung said between gritted teeth. 

"Is there somethi-" 

"Please." Taehyung interrupted him. "Be quiet." 

He could only stare. Stare at that man suffering alone and in silence. It hurt to watch, but there was nothing he could do. Touching Taehyung would probably get him killed and he could not even talk to him. The silence had become extremely awkward. Especially because both men were sitting naked on the hot wooden floor. Jungkook shifted and then stood up. He headed for the kitchen, he had decided to grab a glass of water for both of them. He also grabbed some tissues to clean the mess in the living room. He could still see Taehyung suffering on the floor, but at least he was not rubbing himself anymore. 

"Drink it." Jungkook said softly as he put the glass of water in front of Taehyung. 

The other man said nothing as he stared into the transparent liquid. Jungkook sat on the couch and cleaned the small sticky mess he himself had done. He was a bit embarrassed at the sight, but tried his best to clean it anyway. Every few seconds he would look back at Taehyung, hoping he would have gone back to normal. But he was still the same. Still catatonic. The glass of water was untouched. When the couch was decently cleaned, Jungkook stared back at Taehyung. 

"Are you ok?" Jungkook asked expectantly. 

"Fine." Taehyung sighed. "I'm fine."

"Can you please talk to me?" Jungkook did not mean for him to sound as if he was begging. But deep down that was exactly what he was doing. "Why did you do that?" 

"Because I wanted to." Taehyung was still staring down. 

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me?" Jungkook did not realize his tone had grown so loud. "Stop acting like you are fucking untouchable!" 

"Jungkook," Taehyung finally looked up. His eyes were the darkest they had ever been. "Be quiet, _now_." 

Jungkook did not speak nor breathe. The threat had been real and all he had said was for him to be silent. Taehyung finally began to move again and slowly stood up again. Jungkook could see the sweat dripping from his body. He did not know if it was because of the sex or because of what had just hapened, the pain he had felt. But he was dripping wet, as if he had walked in the rain. It would be beautiful if it wasn't so menacing. 

Taehyung picked up his clothes and began to get dressed. Jungkook was still sitting on the couch, unsure of what to do. Silence did seem like the best option, but he did not want to be quiet. He wanted to know what had happened. Wanted to know that Taehyung was ok. Even though he knew his answer could be bad. 

"Jungkook," Taehyung was buttoning his shirt. "I honestly don't care if you stay or leave. The choice is entirely yours. But I hope you understand that there are consequences to your actions." 

"What are you trying to say?" 

"Remember when I told you that I do not threaten people?" Taehyung finally looked at him. 

"You _inform_ them." Jungkook mumbled. 

"This is me informing you that you will not have a moment of peace for the remainder of your life. Death is too easy, too _simple_." He adjusted the cuffs of his shirt. "Death is not as interesting as making someone insane."

Jungkook swallowed hard.

"Making a person lose their mind by obsessing over you." Taehyung had his evil smile on his lips. His most threatening look. 

"..."

"Is he coming? When will he find me?" He whispered. "Am I safe? Can I breathe?" 

"You..." 

"Fear induced insanity is _far_ worse than death."

"You are _insane_!" Jungkook growled.

The man walked up to him and held his chin to slightly tilt his head back, making sure he was looking into his dark eyes. Extremely dark. Jungkook was shivering at the sight. 

"Oh, baby" Taehyung smiled brightly. "You would be shocked to know _who_ taught me that." 

"Taehyung," Jungkook pushed his hand away from his face. "I will make sure to kill both of you."

"I will be waiting for you." 

Jungkook then watched the man straighten his clothes and leave the apartment. The sweet metallic scent lingered long after he had left. He stayed sitting for a long time, maybe too long. This was enough. He was leaving. Indeed he was, but he would only do so after he made sure both those fuckers were dead. Seoul would be free from people like Taehyung and Seokjin. There had to be a way for him to get both those men in the same place at the same time. Only then would he be able to make sure they died. 

A plan was needed, but Jungkook had no idea where to start. He got up from the couch and into his room to grab a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. He then picked up his laptop and came back to the living room. Kook sat on the ground and while he waited for the computer to start, he turned on the TV just for some background noise. But the moment the TV turned on he could not take his eyes off the screen. There was a photo of Yoongi and a headline. 

_Famous Daegu mobster, Min Yoongi, captured in Seoul by Seoul Metropolitan Police Officers._

Jungkook's mouth was agape. Taehyung had actually done it. He got rid of Yoongi just like that. It was not that surprising in the end, but Jungkook could now see just how skilled and powerful Taehyung actually was. He was working even with the police. He had helped them to capture Yoongi. In exchange for what? Jungkook began to pay attention to the news report. 

_"After years of investigation, a joint operation by the organized crime division of the Daegu Police and the Seoul Metropolitan Police, the famous Wang of Daegu, Min Yoongi, was arrested earlier today in the outskirts of Seoul. The famous mobster is known to run the biggest prostitution network in Asia, granting him the nickname of King of Prostitution..."_

Jungkook swallowed hard. 

_"He has been taken into custody and will now face charges. Due to the high profile of the case, Mr. Min will remain detained while awaiting trial a PR official from the Seoul Central Prosecutors' office confirmed."_

The TV was turned off. Jungkook shivered slightly. _Fuck_. The plan had to be perfect. No space for it to be ruined. Jungkook stared at the screen of his computer. Seokjin and Taehyung were extremely smart and they would sense that something might be off if he did not plan it right. He began typing. 

  * _Seokjin hates Taehyung_
    * Seokjin will try to kill Taehyung
    * Taehyung will try to kill Seokjin



This was quite obvious but this was the base of his plan. If Seokjin believed that Jungkook would help him to kill Taehyung, he would gain a bit of his trust and vice versa. They were smart, but their own hatred for each other was the thing that could be used against both of them.

  * _Seokjin is discreet_
    * Seokjin will not fall for flashy attempts to kill Taehyung
    * Brotherly love act



Seokjin was exactly like Taehyung had said- poised and clean. Or at least that's what he liked people to think of him. If Jungkook tried to lure him into some intense and flashy plan to kill Taehyung, he would leave immediately and probably kill Jungkook for trying to fool him. This had to be done properly. Seokjin would only fall if Jungkook showed him that he truly felt that the brotherly bond they had created was still strong. It was not. Jungkook wanted Seokjin dead, but he would have to pretend to love him one last time. 

  * _Taehyung likes obedience_
    * Taehyung will not fall for a loving approach
    * Obedient lover act 



This was the hardest part. Taehyung and his love for obedience. Jungkook would have to prove to him that he would obey him no matter what. That he was truly under his spell. Love would be a weapon here, too. Jungkook had confessed a number of times and in the end, he was only a pawn in his game. His love was used against him, so now he would use it against the man who had given him pleasure and pain. 

The plan began to take shape and he could now sense a machiavellian smile form on his lips. It would not be easy, but it did not make it any less fun for him to imagine those two men perishing in front of him. Begging him not to kill them. If there was something Jackson taught him, it was to make people suffer. That lesson had been well learned. He would never forget all the people he saw being tortured or the faces of all the people he helped him kill. They all had died terrible and painful deaths, but right now, all he wanted was to make Taehyung and Seokjin suffer fates worse than those. 

This was not about killing them. Death was a good thing in this situation. This was about inflicting pain and suffering. Giving them all they had given him. Making them hopeless. Making them beg for his mercy. Beg him to end it all. This would be fun. _Extremely_ fun. He had clearly gone into the psycho road for those two, but they deserved it. They deserved everything he was planning for them. 

Jungkook looked outside and the sun was still shining bright. The big night would be during New Year’s. It was probably a bad idea to start the new year with blood on his hands, but he would have to make an exception. Kook stood up and walked back into his room. He opened his closet and picked out a suit. He had some people to see and arrangements to make for the big night. It would all be played in a game neither of those two would ever predict.

\--

Jackson's apartment had been left untouched. Jungkook hated being there but there were things he needed to get. It was early in the morning and he hadn't really been able to sleep much. His head was just going crazy with all the little details he had arranged for that night. It was insanely intricate and he had to make sure everything went according to plan. He walked around the dusty house, going into Jackson's office first. 

Jungkook knew exactly what he wanted and if it was still there, Taehyung and Seokjin did not know about it. He opened the door and entered the dark room. It still smelled like cigarettes and his musky perfume. _Weird_ . He walked towards the bookshelf and picked up a black book with golden birds embroidered on its cover. The mixed feelings about all of this hit him hard as he stared at the book. He had never actually touched it, but he had seen Jackson pull it out a number of times. Everytime it ended with him accompanying him to kill someone. _How fitting._

Jungkook opened the book and there it was. No one had touched it and the smile on his lips was truly uncontrollable at this moment. Jackson never trusted anyone. He would always go on and on about how people betrayed one another and he would always be waiting for those who tried to betray him to show up. Their endings were never good. That made him create his little underground world. This world was formed by people who shared the same mindset and wanted the same thing: power. Jackson did not control them, but they all worked together to achieve whatever they wanted. Almost like a secret society of fucked up people. One word and they would do whatever he asked. 

He sat on the chair and put the book in front of him. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes and took one out. The silver ashtray into which he had tapped his ashes so many times was still there. This was truly nostalgic and fun. He was now sitting on the top. Sitting where the psychopath had sat. That man was dead and he was alive. It was funny how things had turned out. The stupid boy was alive and the smart fucked up snake was buried somewhere. Jungkook laughed lightly as he lit his cigarette. 

Kook opened the book one more time and took out the small phone hidden inside. He turned it on and thankfully the battery still had some charge. The phone played a little tune and illuminated his face. There were a few messages, but he ignored them all. He entered the app they used for communication and clicked on the only conversation it contained. _CHILGYON._ Jungkook knew exactly what to say so that things began to happen and this was fun to watch. As soon as he typed, the responses popped up. 

_WG: Gae_

_CG: Gae_

_TG: Gae_

_KG: Gae_

_PG: Gae_

_LG: Gae_

_KG: Gae_

It was truly interesting. Jungkook only knew the password, so he had to figure out how exactly to get them to do things. It was not like he could just go up on the conversation and see how Jackson had done it before. But all he needed was for them to get a location and help him get there. Also someone to help him out of the first location. The rest would be up to him. He typed the next messages carefully. They knew Jackson was dead, but they would work along with anyone who had such a password. That was because only trusted people had access to it. And the group could only have 7 members at a time. With Jackson's death, his place was probably still vacant. For one night it would be Jungkook's. He tapped the ashes into the ashtray. 

Since the theme was all about dogs, maybe he had to use analogies with that theme. Walk a dog? Take a dog for a walk? Need a dog walker? Lost dog? What the hell was the password for "I need two people to help me with the fuckers and I need a place to do it."? Was there even a password for that? Maybe the help was someone to walk a dog. If he got it wrong, this would be over. Shit. 

_WG: Need to walk a dog._

_CG: Size._

Jungkook let out a huge sigh. He had gotten one thing right. The next part was explaining that there were two "dogs" and he needed an abandoned place. 

_WG: Two big dogs._

_LG: What time?_

_WG: Today. 9 pm._

Jungkook typed the address as to where the "dogs" would be and now he needed to find a way to ask for a place for him to take them. How was that done? Maybe ask to find a place far away. Maybe a park? 

_WG: Need a park to take the dogs._

_WG: A quiet park._

_KG: Big or small?_ _  
_

_WG: Big._

_KG_ typed an address and Jungkook threw his hands in the air. He had done it. He had actually done it. He searched the address and indeed it was perfect for what he had imagined. These people worked fast! He was keeping this little group for him. They were _very_ helpful. He turned off the phone and put it back inside the book. It was time for another room. This was going to be painful and he knew it. Everything about Jackson was always like that, even after he had died. He put out the cigarette in the silver ashtray in front of him. The smell of the burnt filter filled the room. 

Jungkook went up the stairs and into the only room that was on the second floor- _his_ bedroom. He had been inside it a few times. Thankfully, nothing had ever happened there but still he was uneasy. Kook opened the door calmly and stepped inside, glancing around the room as he did. It was dark and gloomy. He wanted to leave as soon as he entered. He walked past the bed and to the small cabinet that stood on the other side of the room. There was a time when he did not want to open that cabinet. But now, he was excited to do so. He grabbed the handle tightly and pulled the doors open. 

The little treasure was hidden inside. All types of needles, scalps, ropes and drugs he would ever need. They were all there at his disposal. It was funny to think that once those same things had made him shiver and now he was excited to see them. Jungkook walked into the closet and grabbed one of Jackson's leather bags. He put everything inside carefully and closed it again. He had enough material for both fuckers and this would be fun. 

He exited the room and headed back downstairs. Kook took a look around the house and he actually felt good. For the first time he felt good in that house. Maybe it was because he had always liked that place, but hated the owner. It was a weird feeling, but it made him smile again. He walked out the door and headed downstairs for his car. 

Kook threw the bag on the passenger seat and put both his hands on the wheel. He began to laugh. Slowly building up to a maniacal laughter. He was finally doing things his way. Finally getting rid of all the people who had fucked his life. Jimin was already dead so it was no longer a concern. Jackson as well. Seokjin and Taehyung were the last ones. And soon they would be no more. Soon they would join the other two fuckers and leave him alone. _Finally._

He drove off into the streets of Seoul. The day was only beginning and Jungkook was anxious for how it would end. People were beginning their days as well so the streets would get busier and busier. The last day of the year was always so eventful for everyone. Tonight it would not be different. While some people celebrated the turning of the year, Jungkook would be celebrating the death of the two people he hated the most at the moment. Funny how things worked. He once loved both of them and now all he wanted was to make sure they suffered until the last moment of their pathetic lives. 

Back in his place, Jungkook checked his cellphone. It was around 8am so people were already up and about. Especially people like Seokjin and Taehyung. They probably had not even slept thinking about their little plans and games. _Annoying._ Jungkook needed to decide who he would call first. Maybe Seokjin would be better, less of a chance to get annoyed. He tapped the screen and waited. 

_"And what do you want?"_

Seokjin hissed. Always the asshole.

 _"I want to talk."_

Jungkook rolled his eyes, making a soft voice that annoyed even him. 

_"About?"_

_"In person."_ Jungkook tested. _"I want to talk in person."_

_"Fine."_

So easy.

 _"Can we meet later today?"_ Jungkook made the soft voice again. _"Maybe for dinner?"_

_"Where?"_

_"I'll text you the address later."_

The place was important for the plan, so Seokjin could not have the upper hand in knowing where they would meet beforehand. 

_"Fine."_

_"Thank you, hyung."_

The final touch. 

Jungkook had done it. One down and one to go. Maybe Seokjin was suspicious, but he would never expect much from Kook. At least not a plan to kill him. None of them would. And that was why it was so perfect. Because no on expected the stupid kid to do something like this. He probably had them to thank. The psychopaths in his life made him like this. So yes, things would be as fucked up as they could. Jungkook would make sure of it. 

Calling Taehyung was more difficult than Seokjin. Somehow he would always stop before calling. He did not dare to press that call button. There was a slight pain in his chest and he knew that it was because he still had some sort of feelings for him. But they had to be ignored. Jungkook would never be free as long as that man lived. 

_"Called to say goodbye?"_

Taehyung had his sarcastic tone and it was annoying. 

_"No."_ Jungkook put on a soft voice. _"I want to talk."_

_"About?"_

_"Can we talk in person?"_

This was going to be even easier than before. 

_"Already missing me, baby?"_

Annoying fuck. 

_"Taehyung."_

Jungkook was warning him, but he was just acting as he would normally. 

_"Fine, baby."_ The man laughed. _"Where?"_

_"I'll text you the address later."_

_"Why the sudden change of heart?"_

_"There was no change. I'm still leaving."_ Jungkook rolled his eyes. _"But I just wanted..."_

_"Wanted?"_

Jungkook could see the smile on that man's face. 

_"To see you."_ He was mad at himself. _"One last time."_

_"Interesting."_

_"What?"_

Jungkook felt a slight shiver in his spine. 

_"I almost believed you."_

_"Excuse me?"_

Fuck!

 _"After all I did and said, you still want to see me? Not even you are that masochistic."_

_"I seriously give up on you, Taehyung."_ Jungkook sighed. _"There is no way to ever make you understand, is there?"_

_"Understand?"_

_"Yes."_ Jungkook tried to sound sad. _"I'm not you nor my brother. I am fucking human. I have feelings. I always did, you dick."_

_"So this is you still trying to have what you can't have?"_

_"No, Taehyung, this is me saying goodbye to the man I love."_

Jungkook thought that in a moment like this he would laugh, but in reality there was a slight sting in his heart. That sentence was not entirely false. The feelings existed and they had been there. It was not entirely love. It was something. But it still hurt to say that. 

_"Fine."_ It had worked. _"Text me the time and address."_


	33. LIQUID

It had been done. Everything had been meticulously orchestrated and now Jungkook would give both those men what they deserved. As he came back from the address KG had sent him, he could see the sunset in the distance. People were already in the streets heading to see their friends, family and loved ones. It was New Year’s and he was on his way to make sure that the final touches of this plan to murder two people were ready. He had taken every possible precaution. Jungkook disguised himself with a cap and a mask and exited his building through the back door. He took a taxi everywhere and made sure he was not being followed. But even if he was, would people really think he was up to something so bizarre? 

The car stopped and he got out after paying the grumpy old taxi driver. The entrance made him smile. It had been such a long time since he had set foot in that place, that it felt almost nostalgic to be there. The memories were quite good. He walked up to the door and pushed it open. Inside there were people cleaning and they were a bit startled when he entered. 

"Sir, we're still closed." A man said in a raspy voice. 

Jungkook took off his cap and mask and as soon as he did the man's expression changed. He seemed a bit shocked, but did his best to hide it. 

"Jungkook-ssi." He bowed lightly. "It's been a while." 

"No need to bow, Do Won." Jungkook smiled lightly. 

"Do you need anything, sir?" 

Do Won was a serious man- a bit too serious sometimes. But he knew Jungkook. He knew who he was and who he was with. So he would always respect him. After everything that had happened in the past weeks, he knew that if Jungkook was still alive it was because he was indeed important. He would not dare to deny him his requests. 

"Actually, I do." Jungkook began to walk upstairs and the man followed him. "I need the  _ Sae _ and  _ Dal _ Rooms for tonight." 

"I will make sure they are ready for you, sir." The man bowed again. 

Jungkook only looked back at him, a dark smile forming on his lips. 

"What time will you be arriving, sir?" 

"At 9pm." Jungkook looked around. Nostalgia settling over him. 

"It will all be arranged, sir." The man was still bowing whenever he said anything. "How many assistants will you be needing?"

"None." Jungkook said with a smile. "I will have people of my own." 

Jungkook turned back to the man as he adjusted the cuffs of his shirt. 

"I am sure you know my guests." Jungkook smiled again. 

"Who would they be, sir?"

"Kim Taehyung and Kim Seokjin."

Do Won bowed at the mention of the names. He was no idiot. He had been in this world for a long time and knew exactly who those two were. He knew how important they were, especially at this moment. Jungkook did not mention those names just for the fun of it, he did it because he needed Do Won to know how important his guests were, how he should truly make sure everything was perfect. 

"When they arrive, please send Taehyung-ssi to the  _ Sae _ Room and Seokjin-ssi to the  _ Dal _ Room." 

"Very well, sir." 

"Make sure none of us are disturbed."

Jungkook smiled at the man once more and headed back downstairs. This was fun indeed. He put his cap and mask back on and bowed to the workers as he left. He stepped outside and signaled to a taxi that was parked in front of  _ Ppalgan.  _ That place was full of fond memories. For some odd reason, that place was always his favorite. 

Back in his house, Jungkook made sure everything was going according to plan. All that was left was to text both men with the time and address, take a shower and leave. It was almost 8pm so it was the perfect time for it. He had purposely made them wait for his text. And now it was time for the last touch. 

_ JK: Meet me at 10pm at PpalganBelbet. _

_ Seokjinie: PpalganBelbet? _

_ JK: At 10pm.  _

_ Seokjinie: Should I be worried, Jungkook? _

_   
_ _ JK: I'm just nostalgic. _

__

_ JK: Please come, hyung. _

Jungkook knew he would not get an answer after that. Seokjin was suspicious and this was actually part of Kook's plan. The more intrigued he got, the more interested he would be. His interest would be divided between believing Jungkook or killing him. It was now time to text Kim Taehyung. After the whole "I love you" thing, he would be even more suspicious. So it was just a matter of leading him in the right direction. Jungkook did not entirely act at that moment- there was some truth in his words. But he would not let that simple sentence get the best of him. Loving that man or not, he would kill him that night. 

_ JK: Meet me at 11pm at PpalganBelbet. _

_ Taehyung: That brings back memories. _

_ Taehyung: Good memories. _

_ JK: Just be there, Taehyung.  _

_ Taehyung: That is not exactly a place I would like to go to. Why don't we meet up at your place? _

_ JK: Taehyung _

_ JK: If you don't want to go, don't.  _

_ Taehyung: Then I'm not going.  _

_ Taehyung: Sorry, baby.  _

_ JK: Fine.  _

_ JK: Guess I will have to spend New Year’s with Seokjin then.  _

Jungkook knew he would not get an answer from Taehyung either, so he just put his phone down. He knew Taehyung would come. There was no way he would let this happen. If Seokjin had a plan to kill Jungkook on New Year’s, he would do something about it. Or maybe he would join his brother and kill him as well. He would have to wait and see at this point. Jungkook walked into his room and into the bathroom to take a long hot shower before getting dressed and heading to _ Ppalgan _ .

The long hot shower was shorter than Jungkook wanted, but he could not afford to be late. Things had to be perfect that night. It was all meticulously planned and he did not want even the slightest chance of things going wrong. He stepped out of the bathroom and the fog invaded the room. He had sorted a nice outfit for that night. An all black look. A black turtleneck and a black striped suit. It was one of the outfits Jimin had picked out for him months before. It was also a bit nostalgic. It matched the vibe he was feeling. Matched the way he felt inside. It was just right. 

He put on his suit and his watch then quickly headed out of the apartment. He looked at his phone and there were no new messages. Seokjin and Taehyung were not going to answer him, but he still checked his phone a couple of times just to be sure. Jungkook was anxious. But this time there was a different notification. Jungkook clicked the banner and the headline made him laugh. To no one's surprise, the inevitable had happened. 

_ Famous mobster, Min Yoongi, found dead in his cell. Authorities rule it as suicide. _

__

Jungkook did not know if this was Taehyung's or Seokjin's doing. But he was certainly happy to know that Yoongi was dead. He put his phone back in his pocket and picked up the small transparent vial he had stored there. Jungkook stopped walking as he stared at the transparent liquid. He had seen it be used before and it acted extremely fast. He had to time it well in order to make sure the two men fell for his little trick. The people who were going to help him would be there to make sure that it ended up in their drink. 

He began walking again as he put the vial back into his pocket. The elevator made its way down rather quickly and in no time Jungkook was back in his car, staring at the leather bag he had left on the passenger seat. The sight made him grimace. It was as fucked up as it could be, yet he was anxious to open that bag again. Use  _ everything _ he could. Make them feel pain.  _ So much fun.  _ Jungkook suddenly had an interesting idea or maybe an omen. He opened the bag and picked up a small black case. He then opened it and picked up a syringe, storing it safely in his jacket pocket. The case was stored back and the bag was closed again. 

The car roared as he started it. Jungkook quickly drove into the street. There were people everywhere. It was extremely cold, but everyone seemed to be heading somewhere. Parties, restaurants, bars. They all had somewhere to be at midnight. Jungkook did not really care about the festivities- he would have his own private party with the people he wanted to be around the most at the moment. He smiled again. 

The streets were quite busy so traffic was not at its best. Still, Jungkook arrived a few minutes before 9pm. He pulled over in front of the  _ Ppalgan  _ and a young man quickly appeared to park his car. He stepped out and headed for the door. Jungkook looked at the poor souls that were standing in line in the cold and laughed lightly. He then turned to the doorman who bowed to him as he opened the door. The club was bustling with people and the dance floor was already packed. People were dancing and having fun- the sight made him smile brightly. 

"Sir." Do Won promptly appeared. 

"Do Won." Jungkook bowed slightly. "Is everything set?"

"Yes, sir." He gestured to the stairs that led up to the second floor. "Your staff is waiting for you upstairs."

"Good." Jungkook patted him on the shoulder. "Make sure my guests are sent to the correct rooms as soon as they arrive."

"Rest assured, sir." Do Won bowed again and left. 

Jungkook headed for the stairs and up to the second floor. A young woman accompanied him into the  _ Dal _ Room since Seokjin would be the first to arrive. Inside there were two men waiting for him. They bowed as soon as they saw him and he bowed back. The young woman bowed to all and left quickly. 

"I assume you two are here to help me."

"Password." The man on the left asked drily.

" _ Gae. _ " Jungkook smiled at him. 

The man hummed and looked at the other man. 

"I know I am not Jackson, but I am his pupil. So I am quite aware of this organization." 

"If you know the password, there is no point in asking any further." The man was still dry. 

"Good." Jungkook sat down and gestured for both men to sit. "The task is quite simple. I need to make sure this is put in the drinks ordered by my guests in this room and the  _ Sae _ Room." 

Jungkook put the vial on the table. The quiet man nodded and picked up the small vial, putting it in his back pocket.

"When this is done, I will only have to make sure both men are restrained and moved to the second location. After that, you will no longer be needed. Do you understand?" 

Both men nodded. 

"Payment will be dealt with later." The talkative one spoke again. 

Jungkook nodded and both men exited the room.  _ Payment? _ No one ever said anything about that. He had thought this was a small non-profit organization in which people did stuff because they had the same interest. But apparently the same interest was money.  _ Shit _ . He would have to go back to Jackson's apartment at some point to pick up the phone. The payment thing would probably come through there. 

He sighed loudly as he set his plan in motion. It was truly happening. He would finally get rid of both those men- so why did it not feel as exciting? Maybe because he was sober and this was quite intense. He pressed the small button on the table and in no time there was a knock on the door. A young woman came inside and Jungkook could not help to notice her beauty and the fact that she looked familiar. He frowned and the woman cowered a little. He instantly softened his features and smiled at her. 

"Would you like something to drink, sir?" She asked in a soft voice. 

"Dye." Jungkook smiled at her. 

"Mr. Wang’s drink?" She seemed confused. 

"Yes." 

"Very well, sir." She smiled and left the room. 

That drink was really addictive and Jungkook truly missed it. Ever since he had first tasted it, it had become his favorite drink. This night was all about nostalgia so he might as well have that drink one last time. It was all coming to an end and he liked the fact that it would end the same way it had started. Well, at least  _ some _ part of it would. Jungkook would be completely alone from now on. No Seokjin, no Jimin and no Taehyung. Not really anyone by his side. It was sad, but at the same time it was liberating.

He thought about all the things he had never gotten the chance to do and that now he would probably manage to do them Traveling abroad, learning more about music and photography. All the things that were once forbidden were now almost within his reach. It was truly a fresh start for him. None of the bad people would be there. Only him and the things he had always wanted. A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts and Jungkook looked at his watch. It was 9:45pm.  _ Early _ .

"Yes?" 

"Your guest has arrived, sir." Do Won had opened the door. 

"Oh, thank you Do Won-ssi!" Jungkook acted like a happy child. "Please, let him in."

That little act earned him a glare from Do Won but it did not matter. He was not going to question anything that he did, so he might as well ignore it. Do Won stepped out of the way and Seokjin entered the room. He had a white turtleneck paired with black slacks and a black jacket. Very handsome indeed. 

" _ Hyung _ !" Jungkook smiled at the elder man. 

"Jungkook." Seokjin was dry as always. 

The door was closed and Jungkook gestured for the man to sit in front of him at the table. Seokjin sat and Jungkook followed suit. 

"I'm really happy that you actually came." 

"You invited me." 

"I'm sorry." Jungkook had begun his nice little brother act. 

"For?" 

"What I did yesterday." Jungkook looked down. "I-I'm  _ so _ sorry." 

"Are you really?" Seokjin arched his brow and crossed his legs. This was his menacing pose. 

Jungkook looked up with shock on his face. It was nothing but an act, but the other man had to buy his little show. Seokjin was not stupid and he was alredy waiting for him to be suspicious at some point. He just had to endure a few more minutes before he had his drink. Just a few more minutes having to talk with that fucker. 

"What?" Jungkook cowered in his seat. 

"Why am I here, Jeon Jungkook?" 

"Because I wanted to see you." Jungkook sighed. "Because I-I felt lonely." 

"And I am supposed to buy your little act?" Seokjin leaned forward. "Do you take me for an idiot?" 

"Not really." Jungkook sat back straight. "I could at least try." A small grin on his face.

It was all just like he had imagined. Now it was time to show him the brotherly support to help him end Taehyung. Seokjin was quite predictable at times. 

"Decided to drop the act?" Seokjin folded his arms in front of his chest. 

Jungkook took a sip of his drink and earned a look from Seokjin. He was curious and that was what he needed to grab his attention. It was what he needed to do in order to make him order a drink as well. His disgusted face proved that he knew exactly what it was and who it was related to.

"Do you want one?" Jungkook smiled at him. 

"Why are you drinking that?" Seokjin had an acid tone. 

"Because I like it." Jungkook pushed the cup forward. "Want to try?" 

"It looks disgusting." He scoffed.

"Well you can order whatever you like." Jungkook took another sip. "Consider it my treat." 

He pushed the button on the table gently as he took another sip. Everytime he did so, Seokjin would look even more enraged. 

"I guess you know why I called you." Jungkook changed the subject. 

"Are you that stupid?" Seokjin arched an eyebrow. 

His little attack was interrupted by a knock on the door. The quiet man was back. He bowed and Seokjin looked at him with an angry face. 

"Red wine?" Jungkook looked at his brother. 

"Scotch." Seokjin dismissed him. 

The man nodded and walked out of the room. Jungkook made sure he looked a bit taken aback. Just so his brother would think the problem was the fact he did not order the red wine. It could work or not, but at least he had acted right. 

"Please, continue." Jungkook gestured at the other man. "You were calling me stupid." 

"You are mad at your little lover and decided to help me end his life?" Seokjin scoffed.

"He is  _ not _ my lover." Seokjin had to believe the ‘I hate Kim Taehyung’ act. "And yes, I would like to." 

"So why would you help me?" Seokjin put his elbows on the table and propped his chin on his hand. 

"I did not really want to help anyone." Jungkook clicked his tongue. "But I think you have the best chance of winning. So I chose you."

Again the conversation was interrupted by a knock and the quiet man entered the room with a glass of scotch on a tray. Seokjin stared at Jungkook and then back at the man. The glass was set in front of him and Jungkook made his lip twitch as if to show discomfort. The silent man bowed and left the room quickly. 

Seokjin stared at his Jungkook and, with a grin, took a sip of the drink. That was it. He had to hold him for around 10 to 15 minutes before the drug kicked in and then he could go deal with Kim Taehyung. It was truly remarkable how things became extremely easy when people took you for a weak stupid kid. 

"You think I am better than him, how charming." Seokjin set the glass on the table. 

"You both are annoying as fuck." Jungkook hissed. "But I cannot win against him alone. So I need your help." 

"Are you begging me?" Seokjin took another sip and grinned at the younger man. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jungkook was outraged. "You want me to  _ beg _ ?"

"Give me one reason why I should," Seokjin blinked twice, indicating the drug was already working. "spare you." 

Jungkook grinned at the sight. The fucker was doomed and he did not even realize it. He was still boasting, all high and mighty. Still trying to look untouchable as he blinked more and more trying to adjust the focus. Soon he would begin to get drowsy and collapse or get too high to even do anything. The result would be the same, he would end up tied up begging Jungkook to just kill him. 

"Well, I have one thing you don't." Jungkook smiled brightly as he leaned forward. "Remember that little star you were all after? You know I have it, don't you?" 

"You shouldn't lie, Jungkook." Seokjin pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Oh, there is no lie." Jungkook propped his head on his fist. "Taehyung gave it to me." 

"He.." Seokjin was having difficulty speaking. "He did not have it." 

"Oh, but he did." Jungkook laughed. "He stole it from you." 

"You..." Seokjin was slurring and angry. 

"Well, before we fucked." Jungkook was having fun. "He went all sentimental and told me the whole story about my mom and the pendant. He told me how he stole it from you right before father died. And then..."

"And then what?" Seokjin was fuming. 

"Oh, then we fucked." Jungkook laughed out loud. " _ Hard _ ."

"Jungkook..." 

"Well, he gave me the stupid pendant." Jungkook pouted. "I really thought he was going to take it back after what happened, but he didn't."

"He fooled you!" Seokjin tried to stand but fell back onto his seat. 

"It doesn't really matter." Jungkook grinned. "After I'm done with you, he will be next. And then I will have the star for myself."

"Jungkook," Seokjin stared at the glass in front of him. Shock and disbelief on his face. "What the fuck have you done?" 

"Oh,  _ hyung _ ." Jungkook stood up. "It was actually easier than I thought. You always took me for an idiot, so you would never think that I would have planned something against you."

Seokjin slumped to the floor, trying to stand back up. 

"And now you are helpless because you made a mistake." Jungkook crouched near Seokjin. "You should be proud of yourself,  _ hyung _ ! You raised me to be a snake just like you! Aren't you proud?" 

Seokjin finally fell completely to the ground, not being able to stand anymore. Jungkook patted around and took his gun and knife. Also his phone and car key. He smiled at the man lying on the ground. Jin was grunting and rolling on the floor like a little worm. A pathetic little thing. Jungkook pushed the button on the table and looked down at Seokjin. 

"You see, I finally understood my own desires. If I have the chance to betray you, I will. If I have the chance to kill you, I will." He laughed. "You were the one who told me to not trust anyone, not even family. You should have listened to your own advice, Seokjinie." 

The door opened and the two men came inside. They picked Seokjin up and he still tried to fight them, but he was as soft as a baby. Just like Jungkook was when Jimin had him kidnapped. Seokjin would soon pass out. Jungkook felt proud of himself. He had dealt with Seokjin so beautifully. It had been fun to act like that. He felt alive and all he wanted was more. More of that drug he had been tasting. It was quite addictive. The door closed again and he inhaled deeply. He then let out a loud laughter.

Another knock made him turn around to see Do Won standing by the door frame. 

"Your other guest has arrived, sir." 

"Thank you." He smiled. "I will be right out." 

Taehyung was also early. Jungkook looked at his watch and it was only 10:30pm. Thankfully, he had dealt with Seokjin faster than he had planned. The other fucker was now going to receive the same gift. Jungkook straightened his outfit, picked up his drink and then headed out of the room. He soon arrived at the door of the  _ Sae _ Room. 

Nostalgia was really the theme for the night. As soon as Jungkook opened the door, he saw Taehyung. The man looked as handsome as ever in his all black outfit. His hair was a bit messy, but it only made him look even better. The smile on his face was the one Jungkook could not resist and he knew he was doing that on purpose. But tonight, that smile was not affecting him. It actually only made him want to kill him sooner. 

"Baby." Taehyung teased. 

"Taehyung." Jungkook acted as if he was not affected by the other man. 

"So," Taehyung stared at him as he took his seat. "What's up with the nostalgia?" 

Jungkook made sure to take a sip of the drink. Taehyung only stared and Jungkook could see the slight twitch on his lips.  _ Perfect _ . Anything that reminded him of Jackson would always get the best of him. It was a fun little game to play. 

"This room brings back memories, doesn't it?" Taehyung spoke again as he leaned forward. 

"Unfortunately." Jungkook scoffed.

"Oh, baby." Taehyung laughed. "It was better when you were an oblivious fuck." 

"So you could use me however it suited you?"

"Exactly." Taehyung licked his lips. "Now I have to deal with your annoying little act."

"Oh, really?" Jungkook sipped his drink again. "What act would that be?" 

"The one in which you lure me and Seokjin here to try to kill us." 

_ Fuck.  _

"So pathetic." Taehyung laughed out loud. "But that was quite expected." 

"It was?" Jungkook arched his brow. 

"It was, baby." Taehyung stood up. "You see, you are so predictable and simple."

Jungkook sipped his drink one more time as he stared at Taehyung who was walking towards him. The remark truly annoyed Jungkook, but he was not going to play Taehyung's game. 

"Do you know how long it took me to plan all this?" Taehyung sat on the edge of the table, close to Jungkook. "Do you know what I had to do in order to make things happen?"

Jungkook remembered to swallow hard. This was going to be done in a different way and he knew it. 

"You killed everyone." Jungkook hissed. 

"No, baby." Taehyung pinched Jungkook's chin and tilted his head up, making him stare into his eyes. "I am not the only one playing games."

This was weird. Taehyung was confessing? Trying to destabilize Jungkook? The fucker always had his little games and he was smart. Really smart. Kook would have to deal with him as soon as possible. Jungkook tilted his head even further back, showing his neck. The sight made Taehyung smile. This was risky, but it was obedience. It always meant obedience. The fingers that were once on his chin, rapidly slid down to his neck until Taehyung was grabbing it tight.  _ Fuck. _

"And what are you doing, baby?" Taehyung had his malicious smile back on. He was having fun. 

"I-I..." The stuttering made him look even more hopeless. "Obeying." 

The answer made the other man laugh out loud. Jungkook had won and he knew it. Taehyung leaned in closer, ready to say some nasty comment that would make Jungkook shiver and bubble with desire. But this time there would be a small surprise. Jungkook gasped slightly for air and Taehyung leaned in closer.  _ So predictable _ . 

"And what if I snapped that pretty little neck of yours right now?" 

_ Annoying fuck. _

Jungkook snuck his hand in his pocket and picked up the syringe he had filled with the drug earlier. He probably had messed up the dose because he had done it at a red light and he knew that the wrong dosage could end up killing Taehyung, still he had to try. He took out the cap and in a swift move, stabbed the man on the neck with it. The liquid went in as he pushed the top and Taehyung immediately let go of him . Shock and anger all over his face. 

"What the fuck did you do?"

Jungkook was smiling at him. Taehyung still had his hand on his neck as he stumbled back. The effect would probably kick in faster this way, so it was actually better. Jungkook felt a slight sharp pain in his chest, but it was small enough to ignore. So he just stood up and walked up to Taehyung. 

"This, Taehyung, is revenge." Jungkook smiled at him. 

"You idiot!" Taehyung screamed. "You fucking idiot!" 

"Are you mad?" Jungkook laughed. 

"YOU FUCKING CHILD!" Taehyung was truly mad. "YOU STUPID FUCKING CHILD! I WILL LET HIM KILL YOU! LET HIM DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO YOU." 

"Let who kill me?" Jungkook was still smiling. 

"S-s" Taehyung was trying to keep his eyes open. "Seokjin!" 

Jungkook only laughed as loud as he could. It was  _ truly _ hilarious. Taehyung never in his life considered the possibility of him managing to grab the both of them. He too thought of Jungkook as an idiot. He was  _ wrong _ . 

"Seokjin?" Jungkook crouched next to the man, smiling brightly at him. "He passed out like half an hour ago. Unlike you, he did not have to get stabbed in the neck with a needle." 

"W-what…" Taehyung was shaking his head. 

"Yes, Taehyung." Jungkook grinned. "I will kill  _ both _ of you tonight." 

Taehyung had nothing but shock on his face for a few seconds before he blacked out completely and fell to the ground. Jungkook just smiled at the scene. He had won. 


	34. TWIST

Jungkook calling him was almost funny. After all the drama in the apartment, he actually thought he would have already left . Still, he had just asked him to meet him and used that corny line. This was unlike him. Taehyung was sure that he was up to something. It was probably some lame attempt at something. Jungkook did not have the connections nor the skill to ambush him or Seokjin. So he would probably try something both of them would easily spot. Still he would keep an eye on him. Taehyung pulled out his phone and texted quickly. 

_ KTH: Follow Jungkook.  _

_ KS: Yes, sir.  _

If that boy was stupid enough to be plotting something, Taehyung would figure it out before their dinner.  _ Dinner _ . Why did he agree to that? That fucking sentence got the best of him. He was supposed to say no and show up unannounced. Get there and make him understand who was in charge. That fucking kid. Taehyung had fucked up big time. He had showed his fucking weakness to him. In the middle of fucking he just had the amazing idea of letting Jungkook touch him. That stupid idea hurt like hell. Taehyung came down with a fever that had not subsided yet. Fuck. 

Taehyung was mad. Extremely mad. And he still had to deal with the possibility of having Jungkook spoil his plans. Things were beginning to get annoying and Taehyung knew that this whole mess would end up making him do unwanted shit. Most likely something that would hurt Jungkook.  _ Shit _ . There was no point to it, but that was him. Whenever Taehyung exploded, someone would get hurt. So many people had died because of that. Many he regretted. Others he just sped to their death. Nothing to worry about. But he did worry about Jungkook sometimes.  _ Fuck _ . 

He shifted in his chair and stared at the man in front of him. A smile appeared on his lips. It had been a long time since he felt in doubt. He had locked him up for a fews days and things were beginning to feel complicated. There was no point in delaying this. Still, Taehyung had already tried twice and failed to complete the task both times. 

"He is dead." He sighed. "There is no point in continuing this anymore." 

The silence was definitely annoying. 

"Will you keep this up?" Taehyung was annoyed. "After all this time?" 

It was just like speaking to a wall. A tall and handsome one, but still a wall. 

"Will I have to kill him in front of you in order to make you speak?" Taehyung was mad.

Chanyeol finally tilted his head up. He was pale and exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes made them look even darker. This was a complicated look. One Taehyung had not seen in a long time. 

"Taehyung," Chanyeol scoffed. "I may be tied up. But at some point I will free myself and I will do to you what  _ he _ should have done a long time ago." 

He did not even have to say the name to make Taehyung's smile disappear. This was utter hatred. This was hurtful even for someone like him. They did share a past and they did at some point have more feelings than they should towards each other. But this was just evil of him to mention. Taehyung regretted the day he let that man know about his past, about his scar. 

"Are you saying this to protect him?" This sounded almost like jealousy. It was pathetic.

"He can protect himself." Chanyeol hissed. "This is me letting you know that I will kill you." 

"How adorable,  _ baby _ ." It felt strange to say that to Chanyeol. "But I am not the one tied up to a chair pissing off a murderous son of a bitch." 

Chanyeol began to laugh. Loudly.  _ Annoying _ . Taehyung tried to keep his cool and be cold in a moment like this. Still, he was beginning to falter and this was not something he could let that man see. Not in a moment he had to make him scared. Why was it so hard to hurt him? Why did it always feel like it was not something he should do? Taehyung had killed people who called him friend. People who had trusted him. People he had fucked more than once. He even did it while fucking that cute guy once. Still, none of those seemed to be as troublesome as this. 

"You know, Chanyeol." Taehyung was looking at his hands. There was no blood on them but he could still smell it. "I have to confess." 

"You want to confess your sins?" Chanyeol laughed. "Do I look like a priest?"

"I tend to do this a lot these days." Taehyung was rubbing the skin of his fingers. "I confess my deepest and darkest secrets to people I am about to kill. This way all of my secrets see the light of day for a few seconds, but as soon as they are spoken, they are quickly buried away again." 

The other man did not dare to answer anymore. 

"Do you know why I hate that man?" Taehyung smiled. "You know about it. I have told you part of the story, but you don't know the whole truth." 

Taehyung finally stopped rubbing his hands and looked up at Chanyeol. 

"After I was left there dangling from the ceiling, I prayed for the second time in my life." Taehyung smiled softly. "I begged anyone who was listening to take me away. Take me to hell." 

The memory made his back feel almost as if it was on fire. Taehyung did his best to not show the discomfort, but he felt the small droplets of sweat form throughout his body. 

"I begged  _ so _ hard. I just wanted to die." Taehyung stood up. "But that was not his plan. He wanted me to live. He  _ needed _ me to live." 

He strode calmly towards the other man and he could see him swallow hard. He was scared and Taehyung was happy. Fear was the only thing he wanted that man to feel.

"And you know why he did that?" He pulled out the small needle from his pocket. 

He could see Chanyeol shift in his seat. He was trying to get away from the needle. No one wants to die, but Taehyung had observed through the years how people reacted to the certainty of death. It was both interesting and amusing at the same time. Some people would accept their fate, not trying to free themselves or just closing their eyes. It was always a bit too dramatic to his taste.  _ Very theatrical _ . And then there were those who would cry, squirm, beg and talk. The talking part did not change anything. The person would only delay their own fate. But it was interesting to watch. Even the toughest and bravest men, like Chanyeol, would still try to escape. Poor ignorant souls. 

And then he felt his pocket vibrate. It was probably not important, but he felt an urge to check his phone. Since Jungkook had called him, it had made him tense. So this could be something about his whereabouts and what the fuck he had been trying to plan.  _ Fucking child. _

"Just a second." Taehyung smiled as he pulled his phone from his pocket. 

_ KS: We have a problem. _

Fucking child! Taehyung growled as he read that sentence. Killing Jungkook was back on the table and he would make him suffer. He would teach him some fucking manners and respect. Him being stupid and reckless was acceptable. But him trying to fuck Taehyung's most awaited plan was just the most stupid thing that boy could ever do. Making him angry in a moment like this was a  _ very _ bad idea. 

"Well, looks like I am going to have to postpone this for a little while." Taehyung smiled. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Chanyeol was pissed. 

"Oh, baby." Taehyung tilted Chanyeol's chin up. "Be patient, will you?" 

As he walked towards the door, all he could think was in ways of inflicting pain. This Taehyung knew very well. He had learned a lot in his years working for the Min family. The door squeaked open and Taehyung looked back to see Chanyeol panting. It still felt weird. Like he was not supposed to kill him, but in the end there was no way out of it. Chanyeol had been on his list for a long time. Even before they had shot each other. Before they had even met. Sometimes life would be like that. Make Taehyung feel human. It never lasted long enough for him to understand those feelings. 

He fished out his phone again as the door closed. 

_ KTH: Meet me here. _

_ KS: Yes, sir.  _

It did not take long for Seulgi to arrive. Even if it was Jungkook, Taehyung was not going to risk underestimating that kid and end up having his plans fucked. Seulgi knew he was up to something and they would have to deal with whatever it was. Taehyung was waiting for her at the main entrance. He saw the slight pain on her face as she exited the car. It was still from the gunshot wound in her stomach. The blind vet managed to stitch her up, but it would not be an easy recovery. Taehyung cared enough to not make her do any intense work for the next few days. But if they needed to act, he knew she was going to ignore the wound and do as she was told. 

She bowed slightly when she got in front of Taehyung, trying to mask the pain from the movement. 

"What happened?" 

"He has visited an abandoned clinic in the northern part of angel town." She sounded suspicious. 

"Alone?" Taehyung was beginning to get mad. 

"Yes." 

"And now?" Taehyung pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"On his way to Namjoon's club."

_ That fucking child. _

"And Seokjin?" He pinched even harder. 

"Still quiet." 

There was nothing else to be said and Seulgi knew she was supposed to leave. She bowed and got back into her car. Taehyung was furious. That fucking boy was up to somehting and he was trying to fuck his plans. He knew he was no saint, but Seokjin was a bigger threat at this moment. Jungkook somehow still seemed to be awfully loyal to that man and this was a problem. A big one. Something told him that he would not help him get rid of that fucker. Still, this had become a very annoying inconvenience. He was going to need to change his plans and this was risky. Maybe  _ too _ risky.  _ Fuck it! _

Taehyung walked back to the room where he had left Chanyeol and inhaled deeply as he walked towards the man. As he stared at him, all he could think about was skinning Jungkook alive. Bit by bit. How he would make him stay in bed for at least a month. 

"You are going to listen and in the end you are going to nod and say ‘yes, sir’. Do you understand?" Taehyung smiled, but his tone was extremely dark. He was pissed. 

Chanyeol regarded him with disgust on his face.  _ Good _ . 

"I am going to let you go, but not because I'm a nice guy. You know that is not me. I am letting you go because that's what I want you to do.  _ Leave _ . You will go back to your little lover and enjoy what little time I have given you both. When I am done, I will find you and kill the both of you while you fuck that midget of yours." Taehyung was smiling brightly. "You will  _ not _ come for me and you will  _ not _ try to kill me. If you do, I promise you that I will make you watch as I cut your fuckboy into small little pieces and feed them to the pigs. Do you understand, baby?"

"You fuck-" Chanyeol was interrupted by a hand choking him hard. 

"I will not repeat myself again." Taehyung was mere inches from Chanyeol's face. 

"Yes,  _ sir _ ." Chanyeol coughed out. 

Taehyung laughed and then gave Chanyeol a small peck on the cheeks. He stepped back and threw a pocket knife on the ground, next to the man's feet. He knew Chanyeol was capable of getting free, but it would take him a while to do so. Just enough time. He put his hands in his pockets and walked away still laughing. 

"Such a  _ good _ boy." Taehyung said as he exited the room. 

The last thing he heard was Chanyeol growl. It was perfect. He needed that anger for the next part of his plan. Things had changed, but they were still in their due course. Chanyeol was going to be useful.  _ So _ useful. Taehyung got back in his car, hissing at the cold outside. Things had changed and he was not the least happy about it. He had been in control for so long and now a stupid kid with no notion whatsoever of anything that had been done and was still in the works to happen was trying to fuck him over just because he was a spoiled little motherfucker. Jungkook was seriously a pain in the ass when he wanted to. 

Tae started the car and drove off into the busy streets. When he got closer to the city center, he could see the hordes of people roaming around in the city. They were probably going to their little parties and gatherings. Even though it was freezing cold, they were still out and about. Oblivious of the people in the background who were battling for the control of the city. Taehyung stopped at a red light and picked up his phone. There was a new text. 

_ KS: He has been moved.  _

_ KTH: Good. _

_ KS: It will be on the 8 pm news.  _

_ KTH: Good job.  _

_ KTH: Chanyeol is free.  _

_ KTH: Do NOT stop him before he comes to me.  _

_ KS: Yes, sir.  _

_ KTH: Keep close.  _

_ KS: Yes, sir.  _

The horn of an annoyed driver blew in his ears and Taehyung cursed under his breath as he threw his cellphone on the passenger seat and began driving again. Everything was going just according to plan. All that was left was dealing with Jungkook and then moving on to the main part. Killing Kim Seokjin. He had been waiting a long time for this. Longer than he had anticipated; nevertheless, it was here. That day had finally arrived and things would end soon. Taehyung did not mind dying. He could do so any time. But before he did, Seokjin had to be dead. This man would die the most painful and intense death. Taehyung would make sure of it. He would make him beg. Beg to die. A smile formed on the corner of his lips. 

He was back in his own apartment. It was just a simple place for simple things. Most of the time the place would be empty and that's exactly how he liked it. A place he could get rid of easily. He threw his shoes to the side as soon as he entered the apartment and walked into his room. For the first time in a long time, he just lied in bed. Its warmth making it cozy and inviting. Tae wished he could just lie in that bed. Stay there for as long as he wished. Ignore the chaos around him and just stay there. His eyes were already closed. 

"Taehyung." A deep voice called to him. 

"Yes, sir." He did not dare look him in the eyes. 

"Have you done what I asked you?" 

"Yes, sir." He looked at his bloody hands. 

"You are such a good boy, aren't you?" The man tilted his head up and made Taehyung look into his eyes. 

"Thank you, sir." He was trying his best to not let his voice crack. 

The man walked away for a few seconds and came back with a damp towel in his hands. Old Min was a very frightening man, especially to the eyes of a child. Still, sometimes he would treat Taehyung as if he was his own child. He grabbed Tae’s small hands and began cleaning off the blood . It was the middle of the night and the room was poorly lit. The office always seemed so menacing and now with only the dim light on, it seemed a scenery of a horror movie. He even had blood on his hands. 

"How did it make you feel?" Old Min was curious. 

"I-I don't know." Taehyung mumbled. 

"Did you feel the rush? The adrenaline? Did she  _ scream _ ?" He was a hungry wolf. Salivating for the information.

"She screamed a lot." Taehyung could remember the screaming. The sound made him shiver. "It was too loud." 

In the end that was what made him kill her. Her screaming. It did not stop. He begged her to stop. He asked nicely, but she wouldn't. She only fell silent after he hit her a few times and then he continued hitting her for a long time. Begging her to forgive him. There was so much blood everywhere. And that smell. That sweet smell that made everything worse. It was everywhere. The room reeked of it. It was not blood. It was something else. Something sweet. He had no idea what that was. But it was still there. The screams. They were so intense. Taehyung could hear them again and again. 

_ Please, stop screaming.  _

_ Please. _

_ Don't scream.  _

_ STOP! _

Taehyung woke up to his phone buzzing. Someone had sent him a message. It was dark outside and he had probably slept for the rest of the afternoon.  _ Shit _ . He pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared at the screen for a few seconds.  _ Jungkook.  _ He indulged into a few murderous thoughts before he unlocked his phone and read the text. 

_ Jungkook: Meet me at 11pm at PpalganBelbet. _

_ KTH: That brings back memories. _

_ KTH: Good memories. _

_ Jungkook: Just be there, Taehyung.  _

_ KTH: That is not exactly a place I would like to go to. Why don't we meet up at your place? _

_ Jungkook: Taehyung _

_ Jungkook If you don't want to go, don't.  _

_ KTH: Then I'm not going.  _

_ KTH: Sorry, baby.  _

_ Jungkook: Fine.  _

_ Jungkook: Guess I will have to spend New Year’s with Seokjin then.  _

That fucking kid was going to get himself killed and that made Taehyung even more furious. He was the one who was going to kill him. This was his little stupid plan. Luring Taehyung and Seokjin to that bar and then trying to do something to them. And the sad fuck even thought that using that stupid line would make him go. Might as well let that motherfucker kill him. Isn't that what he wanted? He could get rid of both of them in just one night. No more fucking Kim Seokjin and no more stupid Jeon Jungkook. It was so easy.

For some reason that did not seem enough. He would still have to meet Seokjin and he knew he would be at the bar. Should he just go and take care of the fucker after he was done with Jungkook? It was possibly a better idea. Still, he was done with that stupid kid. Might as well just end him now. Or maybe fuck him one more time before getting rid of him for good. This was a whole new level of fucked up even for Taehyung. Why would he think about sex in a moment like this and with none other than Jeon Jungkook? He had to admit, sex was indeed  _ great _ . 

Taehyung got up and went to take a shower. He opened the tap and let the hot water fall on his back. It was as painful as everytime something touched his scars. But today it seemed twice as painful. Something was off. Some kind of omen. Taehyung was not someone to ignore any kind of sign that things were off. He analyzed everything carefully. Even though this was Jungkook's little act, he would still approach it with caution. He got out of the bathroom, his back still aching. He picked out something entirely black. It made it easier when he left it at the dry cleaners. The blood was not easily visible. As soon as he got dressed, his phone vibrated again. 

_ KS: The announcement will be given in a few minutes. _

Tae smiled brightly. Everything was as swift and smooth as he had planned. At least part. Nothing to worry about- not for now. This would be dealt with later. In a few minutes, every single newspaper in South Korea would be reporting the suicide of Min Yoongi in his prison cell. The king was dead. But  _ was _ he? Taehyung laughed loudly almost to the point of crying. The sad fucker was still his, even after he had tried to humiliate Taehyung by saying he had lost. One sentence made that annoying fuck shiver. 

_ "Do you think you are going to stay away from me, darling?" _

Taehyung laughed at the memory and made his way back to the living room. He was going to be early. After Namjoon was gone, Tae made sure the people on  _ Ppalgan _ were his. It was quite the profitable place with a lot of drug dealing and little secret private rooms. Rich fucks paid a lot for that kind of exclusivity. Now that Junmyeon was also gone, the club was in his hands. No one knew about it because he had used someone else to take care of that business. Not  _ anyone _ actually. Bae Joo was managing most clubs in Seoul at the moment. Taehyung had divided the business with her behind Seokjin's back. Yuto was also managing some places with his men. Mostly the gambling dens, but still he was part of the team that coordinated things. 

The moment Jungkook booked the rooms at the place, he was notified. Kim Do Won was an old timer. He respected hierarchy. Jungkook was not in a position of demanding anything from anyone, because he was not a suitable candidate for the throne. Everything was in Taehyung's hand. Do Won included. That pretentious stupid kid even tried to play cute by getting that  _ Sae _ Room.  _ Adorable _ . Jungkook was extremely pathetic sometimes. He was a good fuck, but a stupid moronic child most of the time.  _ Sae _ Room for Taehyung and  _ Dal _ Room for Seokjin.  _ Pathetic _ . 

The drive to  _ Ppalgan _ was annoying with that many people in the streets. They all seemed happy and oblivious. That was indeed a better life. One in which you did not have to worry about people trying to kill you all the time. But that was boring. No excitement whatsoever. Not for him. He had become addicted to his way of life. Addicted to that thrill. Plus death always smelled  _ so _ good. Taehyung smiled at his own thoughts. 

When he finally arrived at the bar, a young man came to open his car door. 

"Sir." He bowed lightly. 

"Nice to see you, Jungwoo." Taehyung smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Is he here already?" 

"Mr. Jeon arrived a few minutes ago, sir." Jungwoo smiled at him. 

"Such a good boy!" Taehyung patted his head jokingly and turned to leave. But then something dawned on him. 

"Jungwoo." He called the boy that was almost inside the car. 

"Sir?" He was startled. 

"Where is his car?"

"Around the back, sir." 

"Give me the keys." Taehyung smiled at the boy. 

Jungwoo gave him the keys and Tae made his way to the back of the club. It was the place where they parked the expensive cars. The ones belonging to the important clients so that they did not have to wait too long in the cold. Jungkook's car would definitely be there, so would Taehyung’s and Seokjin’s. It was fucking cold, but he quickly found the Mercedez parked near the back door. Taehyung made his way inside and stared at the leather bag on the passenger seat. He opened the bag and the sight made him laugh out loud. He was definitely impressed. All sorts of tools and drugs. He picked up one of the vials and he knew exactly what it was and Jungkook's plan became clear.  _ GHB _ . He had probably stolen Jackson's stash. The one Taehyung had left untouched.

He would try to drug both men. Since it was liquid, it would probably be in his drink. He had someone to help him. Who? Jungkook actually had someone working for him in this city? Taehyung closed the bag and walked out of the car, entering the club through the back door. He casually strode to the front of the building and met with Do Won. 

"Sir." Do Won bowed.

"Where is he?" Taehyung could not stop smiling. 

" _ Dal _ Room." 

Seokjin was going to be the first.  _ Interesting. _

"Good." Taehyung was having too much fun seeing Jungkook try so hard. "I'll be in the  _ Sae _ Room.” 

"Understood, sir." Do Won bowed. 

"Oh, Do Won-ssi." Taehyung had almost forgotten. "Has he got someone with him?" 

"Two men, sir."

_ Two? _

"Send them to my room." Taehyung smiled brightly and headed upstairs to his room. 

He sat in that room and all he could do was feel nostalgic. He had not set foot in that place after the whole love drug and flowers with blood day. Taehyung laughed loudly again. Jungkook was still clueless about that day. In his head, it had all been a dream. A very good one, considering how hard he was while they made out against the wall. It was  _ good _ . From that point on everything with him was set in place and he ended up being quite helpful.  _ Sometimes _ . A knock on the door made Taehyung come back to reality. 

"Come in." He straightened himself as two men entered the room. He knew exactly who they were. 

"It's been a long time." Taehyung laughed once more. "I could say I am happy to see you two." 

"Taehyung-ssi." Jaebeom spoke. 

"Are you still mad at me, Jinyoung-ssi?" Taehyung teased. 

The man said nothing, but he could see he was mad. 

"What's the matter? The cat got your tongue?" Taehyung was being a dick, but it was fun.

Actually he was the one who had caught it. Jinyoung always spoke more than he should, so he solved that problem a long time ago. The cunt was never going to say anything ever again. 

"Is there anything you want, Taehyung-ssi?" Jaebeom was serious. 

"There is." Taehyung leaned closer. "I'm going to kill the kid you are working for, so he will not be able to pay you. I will pay double and you will work for me, my little  _ gae. _ " 

"Payment first." Jaebeom clicked his tongue. 

"Do you accept cards?" Taehyung laughed. "You will receive it later today. You know I  _ always _ keep my promises." 

"Indeed." 

"Good, now that we have an agreement." Taehyung clicked his tongue. "What has he put you up to?" 

"Spike the drinks for this room and the other." Jaebeom looked at Jinyoung. The mute put the small vial on the table. "Then transfer you and Seokjin-ssi to another location." 

"So you are aware that the other man is Seokjin-ssi?" Taehyung was indeed surprised. 

"It is my job to know." 

"And you agreed to this shit?" Taehyung was annoyed by the stupidity. 

"I do what I am hired to do." Jaebeom raised his brow. "Just like you." 

"Be careful with your words, Jaebeom." Taehyung intertwined his fingers as he propped his elbows on the table. "There is nothing keeping me from killing you right now." 

"Do not think that your words can scare anyone in this world, Taehyung-ssi." A smile appeared on the corner of his lips. "There is nothing keeping me from killing you either." 

"That is why I like you, Jaebeom-ssi." Taehyung smiled. "You are just like me." 

The man said nothing at the remark, but Taehyung could see he was amused. 

"Well, you can spike Seokjin-ssi drink." Taehyung adjusted himself in his seat. "The kid probably has a plan in case I don't order a drink. Make sure I can free myself if he gets me tied up." 

"I could just kill you while you are unconscious." Jaebeom tilted his head. 

"Or you could do your job and then come work for me." Taehyung also tilted his head and smiled. 

Jaebeom appeared to consider and then just clicked his tongue. 

"Good." Taehyung clapped his hands. "Now, if he has some other way of drugging me there is nothing to do. He is using GHB and there is nothing to make me wake up from that. Let's hope he does not fuck up the dosage. Just make sure I can free myself from the ties."

Taehyung fished out his phone from his pocket and unlocked it quickly. He then proceeded to click on a few things and then put it over his year. He stared at Jaebeom with a dark smile. 

_ "I will text you an amount and address. Make sure it is delivered tonight."  _ He raised his eyebrow as he stared at both men. 

The call ended and he knew Jaebom had understood what had happened. Suddenly, Jinyoung tapped on Jaebeom's arm pointing at a little black thing he had in his hand. Taehyung raised an eyebrow. 

"We have been summoned, sir." Jaebeom bowed slightly. "We will be back with more information."

Taehyung nodded and both men left the room. Jaebeom and Jinyoung came back a while later to tell him they had already spiked Seokjin's drink. Tae stayed there for a while until Do Won came to tell him Jungkook was coming. Apparently, the fucker had already dealt with Seokjin.  _ That was quick _ . He was impressed by the kid, but he was still pissed. 

If Jungkook were to try his luck with him, he would surely give him a very good show. Something to make him feel as if he had won. Yet, that stupid boy would never even have the chance of winning. He never had the chance to live, actually. Tae had been quite nice. But now it was time to go back to the original plan. Jungkook was going to die. 

He sat back in the room and waited anxiously. He wanted to look that fool in the eyes one last time before he did anything to him. Made sure he knew who was killing him. As soon as Jungkook opened the door, Taehyung smiled maliciously. He looked at the boy from top to bottom. He had an all black outfit that was probably some sad attempt of looking menacing. To Taehyung he just looked more  _ fuckable _ than usual.

"Baby." Taehyung teased. 

"Taehyung." Jungkook was so obviously acting. 

"So," Taehyung stared at him as he took his seat. "What's up with the nostalgia?" 

Jungkook was drinking that annoying drink Jackson always ordered.  _ Dye _ . It was strong as fuck, so he was kind of impressed that a kid like him would be drinking it. Still, it was pretty good. He was probably trying to annoy him by using something that was Jackson's. A twitch on the lip would probably give him the false idea he had actually done something. The sad fuck did not even know the drink was made by a bartender Jackson used to fuck. The poor guy died a horrible death by Jackson's own hands. But the drink was a great final creation. 

"This room brings back memories, doesn't it?" Taehyung spoke again as he leaned forward. 

"Unfortunately." Jungkook scoffed.

"Oh, baby." Taehyung laughed. "It was better when you were an oblivious fuck." 

"So you could use me however it suited you?"

"Exactly." Taehyung licked his lips. "Now I have to deal with your annoying little act."

"Oh, really?" Jungkook sipped on the drink again. "What act would that be?" 

"The one in which you lure me and Seokjin here to try to kill us." 

This was the moment in which Taehyung would know what his sad plan to make him pass out was. He was not going to order a drink so that whole plan was done. Was he going to stab him with a needle? Likely. 

"So pathetic." Taehyung laughed out loud. "But that was quite expected." 

"It was?" Jungkook arched his brow. 

"It was, baby." Taehyung stood up. "You see, you are so predictable and simple."

He looked so desperate as he sipped on that grownup's drink of his. Jungkook could not take his eyes off Taehyung as he walked towards him. He was trying so hard. It was just  _ adorable _ . His lips twitching at the humiliating comment he had just made. The boy was pissed and anyone with an eye could see it. Truly pathetic to think he could ever win. 

"Do you know how long it took me to plan all this?" Taehyung sat on the edge of the table, close to Jungkook. "Do you know what I had to do in order to make things happen?"

Taehyung could see the forced swallowing and right after that he had his answer. Jungkook shifted in his seat and dropped his hand to his side pocket. It was something he had hid in there. Probably the syringe. 

"You killed everyone." Jungkook hissed. 

"No, baby." Taehyung pinched Jungkook's chin and tilted his head up, making him stare into his eyes. The fucker had no idea who Seokjin had killed. "I am not the only one playing games."

Jungkook tilted his head even further back, showing his neck. This was sexy, but it was his little game. The sight made Taehyung smile. He was going for the look he knew Taehyung would see as an invitation, making him lean closer to choke him. Smart little bastard. The fingers that were once on his chin, rapidly slid down to his neck until Taehyung was grabbing it tight. The little twitch meant that he was actually enjoying this. This made Tae smile. He would definitely fuck him one last time before he killed him. 

"And what are you doing, baby?" Taehyung had his malicious smile back on. He was having fun. 

"I-I..." Jungkook even stuttered. "Obeying." 

_ Hot motherfucker. _

That made him laugh out loud. Jungkook was just so freaking ridiculous playing this game. It didn't suit him. It was too much for his little tiny head. Taehyung leaned in closer. Jungkook gasped slightly for air and Taehyung leaned in even closer. This was going to probably be the moment in which he tried something. 

"And what if I snapped that pretty little neck of yours right now?" 

_ Such a pretty neck.  _

Jungkook snuck his hand in his pocket and picked up something. Taehyung could see it. He took out the cap and in a swift move, stabbed him on the neck with it. The liquid was hot as it went in. Taehyung immediately let go of him. He was having fun, but Jungkook had to believe he had just made a very big move.  _ Wow, so fantastic _ . Shock and anger were all over his face as he tricked the boy. 

"What the fuck did you do?" Taehyung made sure he sounded extremely shocked.

Jungkook was smiling at him.  _ Adorable _ . Taehyung still had his hand on his neck as he stumbled back. The effect was beginning to hit him. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Jungkook had given him an overdose. He stood up and walked up to Taehyung. 

"This, Taehyung, is revenge." Jungkook smiled at him. 

"You idiot!" Taehyung screamed. "You fucking idiot!" 

"Are you mad?" Jungkook laughed. 

"YOU FUCKING CHILD!" Taehyung was trying hard not to burst into laughter. "YOU STUPID FUCKING CHILD! I WILL LET HIM KILL YOU! LET HIM DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO YOU." 

"Let who kill me?" Jungkook was still smiling. 

"S-s" Taehyung was trying to keep his eyes open as the drug began making him feel dizzy. "Seokjin!" 

He had to make sure the kid believed the act that he was trying to save him from Seokjin and made him think that by taking out someone like Taehyung and Seokjin, he had actually won. He had accomplished something. Sadly, it was all just an act. He would be crushed when he found out Taehyung actually knew everything he had done. Plus Seulgi would be close at all times and Chanyeol had been following Taehyung closely. One of the two would make an appearance that night. 

"Seokjin?" Jungkook crouched next to him, smiling brightly. "He passed out like half an hour ago. Unlike you, he did not have to get stabbed in the neck with a needle." 

_ Oh wow! He took out the great Kim Seokjin.  _

"W-what…" Taehyung was shaking his head, still fighting the urge to laugh and pass out. 

"Yes, Taehyung." Jungkook grinned. "I will kill both of you tonight."

_ Oh my god, so badass. _

Taehyung knew he was not far from passing out, so he just let his face show shock and exhaustion. Jungkook looked so happy with himself. If this was any other moment, Taheyung would smile. He looked as if he had conquered the world and yet the poor fuck had nothing. Maybe Taehyung should let him kill Seokjin.  _ No _ . That man was his. So in the end Jungkook would have nothing but pain. It was sad to kill such a pretty face. But still, he had played a dangerous game in which he controlled nothing. Tae was not happy and this was something worthy of death.  _ Sad fuck. _


	35. CUT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Jungkook could not stop smiling. Taehyung was completely out of it and in his grasp. He took his time with him. He could touch him anyway he liked and that man would not complain. He would not throw him on the ground or do anything of the sort. Taehyung was his to enjoy anyway he saw fitting. He used the tip of his fingers to contour his lips and then brushed his index against his cheek. His skin was soft and warm. So interesting. Jungkook stared down at his hands. Taehyung had beautiful hands and long slim fingers. They felt so good whenever they grabbed Jungkook's neck. His hands slowly made his way down and Kook intertwined his fingers with Taehyung's. It was nice to see what that would look like. It was a nice sight. 

His head was tilted a few times as he admired the hands intertwined together. But he had to move on with the plan. Jungkook let go of Taehyung's hand and patted him down. He had more on him than Seokjin. Guns, knives and a few other things he had hidden inside his pockets. It was strange how that man could look so harmless in his sleep but be a murderous son of a bitch when he was awake. Kook stood up, still staring down at Taehyung. He moved his hand and pressed the small button on the table. It didn't take long for the two men to arrive. 

"We are finished here." He smiled. "Take them to the location as instructed." 

"Yes, sir." The man answered in his usual cold tone. 

He stared as they picked Taehyung up. They seemed almost careful in doing so. Almost as if they were making sure he was not harmed. Taking care of him. Jungkook felt almost jealous of them. Yet he just stared as both men took him out of the room and out of his sight. Kook sighed loudly. He knew what he wanted, but for some reason it all felt wrong. This was not him. Or at least that part of him had been too well hidden. This was truly a sad ending. One in which he became what he did not want to become and killed the last two people that actually meant something to him. Taehyung's life must've been extremely lonely. 

Jungkook shook his head and walked out of the room. Taking one last look before he closed the door.  _ Nostalgic _ . He walked past the crowded bar and back downstairs. Do Won was standing by the entrance with his serious look and furrowed brows. Jungkook looked at his watch- it was close to midnight. People would begin getting crazy as soon as the new year arrived and his apprehension was understandable. 

"Do Won." Jungkook smiled at him. 

"Sir." He bowed slightly. "Are you leaving?" 

"Yes." Jungkook looked around. "Thank you for the lovely evening." 

"I assume everything went well then." 

"It went just as planned." 

"I see." Do Won clicked his tongue. "Have a happy new year, sir." 

The man bowed again and left. Jungkook stood there for a few seconds before he moved again. He walked out the door and into the freezing night. The club was extremely full and there was a big line outside. People were talking and laughing as they rubbed their hands with heat packs. It was a really cold night. The nice young boy who had taken his car when he had arrived was back and went to get his car from the parking lot at the back. It would not take him long to be back in the warmth of his car. 

The boy quickly parked his car in front of the entrance and exited with a smile on his face. He was a nice kid. Jungkook smiled back and patted him on the shoulder. 

"Happy New Year, Jungwoo." 

"Thank you so much, sir." The boy bowed a few times. He seemed a bit uncomfortable, but Jungkook ignored it. 

He got into his car and drove off. The streets were still packed. People were wandering about and many of them were drunk. They laughed contagiously and happily. It was as if their life was simple and unbothered. Jungkook envied them. Envied how they could go on about their lives without having to worry about all the disgusting things that happened in the background. All the blood, deaths, drugs, sex and politics. Everything they were not even aware existed. Jungkook's world was merely something from a movie to them. It was not real. Gangsters and drug lords- nothing more than fiction. 

Jungkook shook his head as he focused back on the streets in front of him. The city soon stayed far away. The northern part of the former angel town was a bit less crowded and a perfect place for him to finish his little mission. As he arrived at the abandoned clinic, he saw a black SUV parked up front. It was probably the car of the two men. Seokjin and Taehyung were probably already inside and now things would begin to unfold. 

He parked his car and got out, walking a bit fast in order to escape the cold. The black leather bag was in his hand and he grabbed it tightly. Almost afraid it would disappear. The building was not warm at all, but at least the wind was not biting into his skin anymore. The long dirty tiled corridors were as creepy as one could imagine. Specially at night. He arrived in the main room he had chosen for the whole ordeal. It was not extremely big, but it was just right. Seokjin was kneeling on the floor, trying to stay awake. While Taehyung was lying on the ground still passed out. 

The two men that had helped him were standing beside Taehyung. As soon as Jungkook arrived, they bowed and left. They were not really trustworthy, but Kook was okay with that. He was not going to question them or do something that could possibly make them mad. He was not really a match for anyone like that. He smiled with the corner of his lips and listened until he heard the main door slam shut. As soon as it did, he looked around and picked up one of the old and rusty chairs he had brought to the room earlier that day. He set it in front of Seokjin and Taehyung, keeping a certain distance. As soon as he set the chair, he sat down spreading his legs and putting his hands on his knees. 

"Are you awake?" Jungkook tilted his head. 

"W-what..." Seokjin shook his head. "The fuck have you done?" 

"Nothing much, actually." Jungkook pouted. "Just made sure the both of you receive what you deserve." 

Seokjin growled lightly, staring into the ground and panting. 

"We might have to wait a couple of hours to get everything done." Jungkook smiled. "I would like the both of you fully awake for this." 

"You stupid fuck." Seokjin growled again. 

"If I truly were stupid, you wouldn't be here." Jungkook laughed. "Don't you think?" 

Seokjin was silent. 

"Let's talk, Seokjin." Jungkook leaned back on the chair. "How did you kill your father?" 

"Why would I tell you?" Seokjin hissed. 

Jungkook looked to his side and bent down to pick up the black leather bag he had set on the ground. He put it on his lap and opened it wide. He poked around for a few seconds and then pulled out one of the scalps. He closed the bag again and put it back in its original spot. Jungkook then began playing with the metallic tool, touching the blade with his index. 

"You know, Seokjin." Jungkook sighed as he poked his finger lightly. Just enough to draw blood. "When I began helping Jackson, I started getting this urge. I would always ignore it and say that it wasn't me. That it was just the fact that I was dealing with too much killing and blood. But after some time, I understood what it actually was. It was a desire to hurt, to kill. It's addictive, actually. I tried to ignore it, but in the end I couldn't. I want to hurt you. I want to kill the both of you. And I don't blame you or anyone else for that. This is me. My own dark and disgusting desire. But we're all like that in this  _ family _ , aren't we? We're all bloodthirsty, murderous fuckers. I know I am and I'm sure you are." 

Seokjin shook his head once again, probably trying to snap out of his drowsiness. Jungkook finally took his eyes off the scalp and looked up at the other man. 

"Do you honestly believe we are anything alike?" Seokjin tried to smile. 

"Don't try to walk away from it, Seokjin." Jungkook laughed. "You raised me. You said it yourself." 

"I did not raise a piece of shit like you." 

"You are seriously mad at the wrong person." Jungkook laughed. "You are the one who fucked up." 

Seokjin growled and pulled against the rope that bound him. It only made him ever angrier. 

"Let me ask you again." Jungkook smiled. "How did you kill your father?" 

"Are you planning on asking him," Seokjin looked at Taehyung. "who he killed as well?" 

"Let's not play this stupid game." Jungkook rolled his eyes. "Don't try to make yourself look better by throwing him under the bus. You two are equally disgusting." 

"You litt-" 

"Now." Jungkook interrupted him as he stood up and strode towards him. "Let's play a little game." 

Kook held onto the scalpel and crouched in front of Seokjin. Before the man could do anything, he swiftly cut his cheek with the blade. Blood spilling from the wound. Seokjin hissed at the pain and stared at Jungkook. He was pissed. 

"I will cut you whenever you don't answer me." Jungkook did the same cut on the other cheek. "Since you haven't answered me twice, I cut you two times." 

Seokjin had fire in his eyes.

"How did you kill your father?" 

"I poisoned him." Seokjin scoffed.

"Why?" Jungkook pressed the blade against his skin again. This time near his eye. 

"Because I wanted to." 

"That's not what I asked." Jungkook smiled as he pressed the blade harder against the skin, almost cutting into it. 

"Because he was no longer fitting for his position." Seokjin cleared his throat. "He had become soft." 

Jungkook stood up and walked back to his seat. 

"You know, Jungkook." Seokjin was smiling. "Remember when I said I did it to save you? That killing my father was something I did in order for him not to kill you?" 

Jungkook raised his brow. 

"I lied." Seokjin laughed. "That weak old man, tried to protect you all this time. Yes, the old man you hated so much was trying his best to save you from  _ me _ . I tried many times, you know? He stopped me everytime. And every time he would mark me, to humiliate me. I never gave up, I only postponed your death to when you became useless in all this."

"Is that supposed to make me feel bad?" Jungkook had a dark smile on his lips. "This just proves how useless you are." 

Seokjin was not smiling anymore. 

"For fuck’s sake, even Jimin was more successful than you." Jungkook played with the scalp between his fingers. "You are quite incompetent, aren't you?" 

"Jimin?" Seokjin laughed, almost frantically. "Jimin was not the one who planned that, neither was Namjoon." 

_ What? _

"Your little kidnapping was all done by him." Seokjin pointed at Taehyung with his head. "He was the one who made sure you got kidnapped by those two fuckers."

"Interesting." Jungkook forced a smile. 

"He showed up afterwards acting all heroic and you, being the fool you are, believed he saved you." Seokjin was laughing even louder now. "When in reality he made sure you ended up like that." 

_ What? _

"And Jimin, the fucker tried to warn you." Seokjin shook his head. "But you are so stupid you didn't understand."

_ What? _

The room was spinning, but Jungkook could not let Seokjin see it. 

"I admit I fell for his little act when he shot you pretending that it had been Jimin. I will give him that, but in the end he used you and got everyone you know killed because he is a selfish sadistic motherfucker." 

"Not very different from you, is he?" Jungkook stood up again. 

He walked towards the man again. This time he would inflict some serious pain. Jungkook crouched in front of him, ripping his shirt open. His white chest was now out in the open. Jungkook smiled at the sight. The scalpel cut into the skin, making Seokjin groan with the pain. 

"I will not lie." Jungkook cut deep into the skin. "I had no idea. I truly know very little about the games you two played." 

Seokjin was gritting his teeth, almost to the point of breaking. Jungkook was almost done with the square of skin he was going to cut off. 

"But in the end, I am not at all amazed." Jungkook finished his drawing and pulled the skin out, making Seokjin scream. "You two are capable of anything. Nothing is really amazing or unimaginable, Seokjinie." 

Jungkook played with the bit of skin in his hand and then went back to his chair. Seokjin was panting and his chest was covered in blood. It was a horrible sight, but it actually made him feel better. Jungkook stared at that piece of skin for what felt like mere moments, but in the end he had probably stayed a while in that daze. Taehyung began to squirm and grunt, pulling him back into reality. He finally turned and stared at Jungkook. A smile on his lips. 

"Baby." He yawned. "This is not really nice of you." 

"Good to see you are awake." Jungkook smiled back. "Now we can begin." 

Taehyung arched his brow. He was still lying on the ground, so Jungkook stood up to help him kneel. 

"As I've told Seokjin." Jungkook walked back to his seat. "I will ask once and if you don't answer me, I will cut you." 

Taehyung looked at Seokjin and his eyes lowered to the blood patch on his chest. He laughed. 

"Damn, Seokjin." He moved away. "You look like shit. Did he do that to you?"

"Shut the fuck up." Seokjin was pissed. 

"Taehyung." Jungkook demanded his attention. "You will answer my questions." 

"Fine, baby." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Ask." 

"How did you kill Jackson?" 

"You have no idea why I'm famous, do you?" Taehyung was displeased. 

"Enlighten me." Jungkook propped his chin on his hands, looking amused. 

"Yoongi's father had a hit man that was known for his sadism. He was the one who taught me most of what I know." Taehyung smiled at Seokjin and then turned his gaze back to Jungkook. "So I just perfected his technique after I killed him." 

Jungkook hummed. 

"He likes to disenbowl people and make drawings with their guts." Seokjin scoffed. 

"Oh, come on, it's more than that!" Taehyung laughed. "You know I hate screaming, so I just cut their tongue first. Silence is important."

_ Fuck. _

"Then I will open your stomach and take out your precious organs one by one. Making sure you are conscious enough to watch." Taehyung had his dark smile on. "And every person gets a unique piece of art. I like to make one for every occasion and that is why people say I'm an  _ artist _ ." 

"That is what you did to Jackson?" Jungkook tilted his head. 

"Yes." Taehyung was emanating his dark miasma again. "I even took pictures. Do you know what I created with his guts?" 

"What?" 

"Your face, baby." Taehyung laughed darkly. 

"How thoughtful of you." Jungkook was fighting the urge to throw up. 

"Is there anything else you want to know?" Taehyung tilted his head. 

"I want to know the whole plan." Jungkook was amused. "Start from the beginning."

"Oh, baby." Taehyung would tease even in a moment like this. "Are you sure you want to know?" 

"You are not really in a position to question anything." 

"It all started when I was born." Taehyung laughed. 

"Don't test my patience, Taehyung." Jungkook scoffed.

"No need to get all worked up, baby." 

"Tell me what you did." 

"Well I wanted to make all those sad fuckers pay for what they had done and I did. Seokjin is the last one." Taehyung stared at the other man. "I controlled Yoongi even before he met Jimin. Once he was in town I made sure the two met. It was supposed to be a partnership of sorts, but it ended up working out better than I had expected. In the end, that blonde fuck was into some kinky shit and so was Yoongi." 

"And then?" Jungkook leaned forward. 

"Then Yoongi made his little agreement with Namjoon to kill Seokjin and divide the country between the three of them." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "All of this was my doing. I was already working with Seokjin here. He went on to talk with the others to make sure they were on his side. Sadly only Junmyeon and Hoseok weren't working for me."

"The man with a Busan accent?"

"Me!" Taehyung did small jumps.

"Yuto?" Jungkook was mad. 

"He was the one getting the grade A coke that was meant for the others." 

"The man that tried to kill me wasn't Namjoon's was it?" Jungkook had understood it. 

"Not at all." Taehyung smiled. "He was a lowly sucker from Yuto that would not be missed." 

"Kang Seulgi?" 

"A childhood friend." Taehyung grinned. 

"Park Chanyeol?" 

"Ex-lover." Taehyung licked his lips. "But this fucker was as loyal as one can be. I never controlled him nor Oh Sehun. They were loyal to Junmyeon." 

"Min Yoongi?"

"Also me." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "But there's a twist to that story. You will know, eventually." 

"Me getting kidnapped?" 

"Jimin wasn't supposed to stab you like that." Taehyung sighed. "Sorry, baby." 

"Jimin?" 

"Sorry about shooting you." Taehyung pouted. "But I had to make sure Seokjin shot Jimin." 

"Ask him about your mother." Seokjin finally spoke again. 

"Seokjin, don't be a cunt." Taehyung looked at him. "Jungkook should be asking who you killed and why." 

"Taehyung." Seokjin hissed. 

"Let me tell you a little story, Jungkook." Taehyung grinned. "When you were a little kid, you followed Seokjin and saw him kill a kid, didn't you? Do you know why he killed that boy?" 

"Because his father told him to."

"Oh, no, baby." Taehyung laughed. "That is what he told people. He killed that boy because he looked like  _ you _ . He hated you so much that he began killing people because they actually looked like you. Because his father knew he was a psychotic cunt that was not to be trusted and so he preferred you. He has a  _ lot  _ of daddy issues."

"Enough." Jungkook pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Wait, there's more." Taehyung interrupted him. "You might get a little angry at me, but I don't really care. So let me tell you who got your parents killed. Seokjin used all the knowledge he had and made a few people very angry at your daddy. He was only a teenager at the time but he managed to use what he had learned to make sure the biggest mobster in South Korea got murdered. He planned the whole thing. He went to Seoul on a false school trip and created the whole thing." 

"I will fucking kill you, Kim Taehyung." Seokjin had a murderous aura unlike anything Jungkook had ever seen. 

"Oh, shut up, darling." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "It's not like anyone here thinks you are a saint. The masks are gone, Seokjin-ssi. Yours included. And it's not like you were going to get out of here alive." 

"Continue." Jungkook demanded. 

"He made sure your daddy's car passed by a certain alley at night and boom. Daddy's car blew up. That's just your father. Now let me tell you about your dear mommy." 

"Tell him the truth. Tell him how you bashed her skull so many times they had a hard time identifying her." 

"You did what?" Jungkook was shocked. "You said you didn't kill her." 

"I told you that you would get angry at me." Taehyung smiled and then shrugged. "Well, Seokjin here found out where she was living and managed to make the information public, even though his father did everything in his power to make sure it did not get to the ears of the other two families. But he made sure it got to Old Min. He went to Daegu with dear daddy for Old Min's birthday and there he handed him the photos, name and address. It was all inside a very fancy box with a red bow on top." 

"It was a very good gift." Seokjin grinned.

"Old Min used me as always and sent me to deal with her. I was a kid and I was scared, so I did it." Taehyung shrugged again. "I'm not saying I regret it and shit. I don't. But I killed her because I was told to. And because she kept on screaming. It was  _ very  _ annoying." 

"So you were the one who killed my mother." Jungkook sighed. 

"Yes, but don't go acting like you actually feel bad about it. You spent your entire life hating her and talking shit about her. You don't deserve forgiveness either, baby." 

"You two killed too many people." Jungkook sighed again. 

"And?" Seokjin raised his brow. 

"Are you trying to act like some sort of hero?" Taehyung laughed. "You ain't shit, baby." 

"Weren't you two very happy and satisfied with my presence just a few days ago?" Jungkook smiled. "Now you two want to throw me away?" 

"Jungkook, you think too highly of yourself." Seokjin was as cold as one could be. "I have been planning to get rid of you all my life." 

"I finally have to agree with the dickhead here." Taehyung laughed. "You are no longer useful, Jungkook. So you might as well just die, don't you think?" 

"I think everyone would be happier if I killed the both of you." Jungkook smiled. "I could just make sure I bleed the both of you out and all the families will thank me." 

"And then what?" Seokjin smiled. "You think you are going to leave and that's it? Are you rich, Jungkook?"

Taehyung roared with laughter. 

"You have nothing, you stupid child." Seokjin was humiliating him. "Everything you have belongs to me. Your money, clothes, apartment.  _ You _ belong to me. I have dirtied my hands since I was 9 years old to make sure I owned this world you despise so much. I built a fucking empire in spite of my father. I have killed and made others kill in my name to maintain the order I helped build. You mean absolutely nothing to me."

Seokjin looked at Taehyung with disgust. 

"You think he is so bad and evil? Did you ever stop to think why your friends always disappeared out of nowhere? Why did I send you to Seoul with Namjoon? Do you remember when I said there would be someone waiting for you in Seoul to take care of you? Why would Jackson Wang show up out of nowhere?" Seokjin was still his calm self. 

Jungkook was burning with rage. Jackson was him. He made that psychopath part of his life. 

"And I'm sorry, Taehyung." Seokjin laughed out loud with his unique windshield laugh. "I should have left you to bleed to death that day." 

"I should have known." Taehyung smiled. "You were the second voice in that room."

_ What? _

"Yes, I was." Seokjin cracked his neck. "I wanted to see how well Jackson had learned."

"Yo-"

"Silence, the grownups are talking." Taehyung interrupted Jungkook. 

"I don't think I have to speak any further." Seokjin clicked his tongue. "You already understand that everything you ever did was because I conditioned you to it." 

"Enough!" Jungkook raised his voice, getting both men's attention.

Jungkook was not in the mood for their little show. He wanted to make them suffer. So he just stood up and walked up to Taehyung. 

"It would be unfair if I only cut him, don't you think?" Jungkook smiled as he crouched in front of Taehyung. 

"It would." Taehyung smiled at him. "But then again, you not getting cut would be unfair as well."

And then Jungkook felt it. The tightness around his neck. Taehyung had somehow untied himself and was now choking him to death. The smile on his face was truly menacing. The one that made Jungkook shiver. 

"Honestly, I was going to wait a little longer." Taehyung stood up, pulling Jungkook up too. "But you are  _ such _ an annoying fuck." 

Taehyung looked down at Seokjin. 

"I am sorry you had to endure this shit for so long." Taehyung sighed. "I pity you." 

"Tae...hyung." Jungkook choked. "Let m...me go." 

"Why should I?" Taehyung pushed Jungkook against the chair, almost tilting it over. "I gave you the opportunity to stay by my side. You wasted that opportunity. Now all I can do is kill you." 

"Taehyung!" Seokjin hissed. 

"Shut up, Kim Seokjin." Taehyung turned to him, a murderous look on his face. "Tonight I am going to paint a tribute to your father with your fucking intestines, you annoying piece of shit." 

Jungkook choked. 

"And you! You fucking child!" Taehyung was truly mad. "You dared to try to kill me? Who the fuck do you think you are? You are nothing more than a moronic and pathetic useless brat." 

He tightened his grip and Jungkook gasped for air. Almost as if he was begging. Indeed he was. The only thing he felt at that moment was regret. He wanted the both of them dead, but he could not muster the courage to kill the only two people that were left in his life. That was why he had not hurt them like he had intended to. That was why he only sat there. He wanted the answers, not the blood. 

"Just kill me." Jungkook managed to murmur.

"Kill you?" Taehyung laughed and smiled maliciously at him. "That was the old plan. Remember what I told you? There are fates  _ far _ worse than death and that is what I have planned for you."

As soon as Taehyung said that, Jungkook heard the main door slamming. Its unique sound was impossible to ignore. The three men looked up and all they could hear was steps. Taehyung looked expectant, almost anxious. He was probably waiting for something amazing to happen, but he looked annoyed when the person arrived in the room. 

"And what do you want?"

"He is on his way." Seulgi said in a calm voice. 

"And you had to come all the way here just to tell me that?" Taehyung was annoyed. 

"He is not alone, sir." Seulgi's voice was even closer now. 

"Who is he with?" Taehyung furrowed his brows. 

"Hoseok's men." Seulgi spoke calmly, but Taehyung's lips twitched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, we are reaching the end people! I'm sorry but I'm also happy. At the moment Blood Lily will end on chapter 40, but I might be nice and stretch it out to chapter 41. There are some "deleted scenes" that I might add as extra chapters in the future. Let's see how it goes. Just a fair warning, things are going to get a bit intense from now on. Hope you enjoyed it so far, I know I have!


	36. ALIVE

"Kim Seokjin, you cunning fox." Taehyung laughed. 

"You're not the only one with a plan." Seokjin dismissed his remark. 

Taehyung stared back at Jungkook, dark eyes and smile. That man wanted to kill him. It was written all over his face, but his fate had just been changed. Jungkook knew Taehyung was not going to deal with those men, so he had to leave. The hand on his neck was still choking him, but he could feel a slight uncertainty with the touch. Almost like Taehyung was wondering what he would do next. 

"Looks like I might have to postpone this." Taehyung leaned closer and whispered in Jungkook's ear. "I will come back for you, baby." 

Suddenly, the hand let go of his neck and the air filled his lungs again. Jungkook coughed at the sudden change, but he still had his eyes on Taehyung. The man had a very strange look on his face and he could not pinpoint exactly what it was. He then leaned closer and pressed a small kiss on Jungkook's lips, startling him. His eyes were wide and his hands had turned into fists. This was completely wrong, so why did he feel good while the other man did that? More than fucked up. 

"Next time we meet." Taehyung stood straight again. "I will see those pretty lips of yours draw their last breath." 

And then he left. Jungkook was left panting on that chair. The whole room was spinning. It was obviously a death threat and he would be true to his words- Jungkook knew that. It was as he said it would be. There would not be a moment of peace in his life. He would always wonder if Taehyung was coming for him. When would he die? This was truly maddening. Jungkook's gaze shifted and he could see Seokjin staring at him. This was bad. The bloody patch on his chest was still pumping blood, but he did not seem bothered by it. He was focused on Jungkook. Almost as if he was a hunter eyeing his prey. And Jungkook did not stand a chance. 

"Seokjinie!" Hoseok's voice echoed in the room. 

Jungkook was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he did not hear the door slam nor the footsteps that made their way into the room. Hoseok was there and a very tall man stood by his side.  _ Chanyeol _ . They were now all staring at him. Seokjin had been freed from his ties and was now standing up as he walked towards Jungkook. The slap on his face was strong and it stung like a bitch, yet Jungkook was still too shocked to even respond to it. 

"You stupid child." Seokjin was not calm anymore. "I will teach you some fucking respect."

"Seokjinie." Hoseok intervened. "Let it go." 

"And why the fuck shoul-" 

"Kim Seokjin." Hoseok had a warning tone. 

Jin hissed and left the room. Hoseok was truly something out of this world. No one had ever made Seokjin step down, but this man had just done so. Jungkook was left staring at Chanyeol and Hoseok. From what he had learned, Hoseok was not someone people took lightly. He was probably one of the nicest people he had ever met, still he was a walking threat. That smile of his was nothing more than the fake niceness everyone seemed to have in this world. A disgusting mask that they all put up so that the world would not see them for what they truly were: monsters. 

"My dear Jungkook." Hoseok smiled at him. "You have made quite a mess, haven't you?" 

"I-I.." Jungkook was not sure of what he could say. 

"I don't really enjoy coming all the way to Seoul." Hoseok clicked his tongue. "But here I am, on New Year’s Eve. All because of  _ you _ ." 

"I am sorry, sir." Jungkook dropped his head. 

"I know you are." Hoseok pinched his chin and tilted his head back up, forcing him to stare into his eyes. "But I am not a forgiving man." 

"Hoseok." Chanyeol intervened. 

"What?" He turned to face the tall man with an unamused face.

"We have an agreement." Chanyeol raised his brow. 

"Indeed we do, Chanyeol-ssi." Hoseok cracked his knuckles. "But I do not think I have to remind you of who I am." 

Hoseok turned to Jungkook again. 

"I do not have to remind you either, do I?" He smiled lightly. "I hope you do not mind keeping me company for a little longer, Jeon Jungkook."

Hoseok did not say anything else and left. Chanyeol stared at Jungkook and pulled him up from the chair. He was not restrained in any way, but he was not stupid enough to try something. Hoseok had made it clear that this was not something he could get away with. This was bad and Jungkook knew it. He would not only face Seokjin, but Chanyeol and Hoseok, too. This was far from what he had imagined for this night and it was still far from over. Seokjin was pissed, Taehyung was on the loose and Jungkook was now a hostage.  _ Fucking great. _

Chanyeol led Jungkook out the main door and as soon as he stepped outside, he felt a chill go up his spine. It was not due to the cold weather and the crisp wind. It was actually because there were at least 20 heavily armed men waiting for them outside. Probably Hoseok's men. He was led into a black SUV and sat in the back seat. One man sat on his right and another one on his left. Chanyeol sat on the passenger seat, looking over his shoulder as he fastened the seatbelt. He sighed. 

"I have no intention of killing you, kid." Chanyeol was not even looking at him. 

"Am I supposed to be grateful?" Jungkook was unsure. 

"Yes, you are." Chanyeol was dry. "You are going to listen to me from now on, understood?" 

The car began to move. 

"And why would I do that?" Jungkook was not happy with this. "Those two would kill me if I did." 

"I don't really care, you know." Chanyeol picked up his phone. "I said I wasn't going to kill you, but I can still turn you into a vegetable that pees through a tube that goes up your dick."

Jungkook swallowed. 

"Listen, just do as I tell you." Chanyeol was typing furiously. "And you  _ might _ live for a while longer.” 

"Very reassuring." Jungkook scoffed. 

"In your case, it is." 

Both men said nothing else for the duration of the trip. Those two men by his side made it even more uncomfortable as he had no space to adjust in his seat. But he should have seen it coming. He had fucked up big time. All because he was too absorbed in his own feelings. And Jungkook finally realised something. It made him gasp so both men stared at him as if they would shoot him if he made any other sudden moves. He dropped his head and focused back on his own thoughts. Jungkook had not smelled Taehyung during this whole thing. Not at the bar, not at the abandoned place. Not even when he stood so close while kissing him. His disgusting scent had not filled his lungs. Kook could not say if that was a good or a bad thing, but it meant something was off. 

The car suddenly stopped and Jungkook finally looked up. The sight made him gasp again. They were back in Junmyeon's mansion. Maybe Chanyeol was sentimental and managed to keep the house. He really was loyal to that man, and with his death he had become a lone wolf. Loyalty was not something that changed that easily, especially in his case. And Jungkook could not imagine him being loyal to Seokjin or Hoseok, at least not in the same way he was to Junmyeon. 

They stepped out of the car and Jungkook was accompanied by the two men inside the house. He walked past the office where they would normally meet and into another room. It was as big as the office, but it had a glass wall that overlooked the garden. It felt somewhat private and maybe it was. Maybe this was a place Junmyeon used for himself. Hoseok was sitting on a chair staring into the void. He seemed serious- something Jungkook had not seen in a long time. Chanyeol went inside and sat opposite Hoseok, staring at Jungkook. Both men that had accompanied him left and closed the door. 

"Sit." Hoseok ordered, still staring at nothing in particular. 

Jungkook followed the order, but did his best to sit far enough from both men, on the couch. 

"Seokjin is busy tending to his injuries." Hoseok lifted his head and stared at Jungkook. "But we don't have to wait for him." 

Chanyeol hummed. 

"This is a fucking mess." Hoseok was angry. "You are all  _ extremely _ incompetent." 

"Watch it." Chanyeol hissed. 

"I don't have to watch anything, Chanyeol-ssi." Hoseok was even darker. "Your own incompetence got your boss killed. The man you were so loyal to. This shows how useless you can be." 

Jungkook could see Chanyeol's hands turn into fists. Still, he said nothing. 

"Does Taehyung still have the star?" 

"No." Chanyeol was pissed and anyone could tell. 

_ He gave it to me. _

The door suddenly opened. Jungkook turned to see who it was. He had never seen that man before. He was short, but very handsome. His light brown hair matched perfectly with his golden skin. He had a pair of round glasses that made him look quite smart. He did not seem like someone who was happy to be there, but then again, who was? His eyes seemed to dart to Chanyeol and he smirked. Jungkook followed his gaze to see Chanyeol roll his eyes as if he was annoyed. 

"Baekhyun-ssi." Hoseok smiled. "Tell me you have something useful." 

_ Baekhyun? _

"I do." The man grinned. 

"Finally." Hoseok seemed extremely relieved. 

"Hoseok-ssi." Baekhyun had a bright smile on his lips. "I do not like being bullied for information."

"You should be careful." 

"I don't." Baekhyun sat down beside Jungkook. "Your incompetent little minions couldn't find it. Namjoon and Seokjin's minions couldn't find it. Taehyung is also clueless about it." 

Hoseok seemed amused. He tilted his head. 

"And now I sit on top of the very information you want." Baekhyun clapped. "It's amusing."

"Baekhyun!" Chanyeol hissed. 

"What is it, honey?" The man pouted and then blew a kiss. "You can be as tall and strong as you want. But in this little game, information is more important than your muscles." 

"You are absolutely right, Baekhyun-ssi." Hoseok was clapping amused. "I presume you want something in exchange." 

"You are not stupid." Baekhyun sighed in what sounded like relief. "Thank God." 

"I am not your old boss." Hoseok grinned. 

"Don't push it, Hoseok." Chanyeol hissed. 

"It's ok, honey." Baekhyun smiled. "He needs that to show he has a big dick. Indulge him." 

Hoseok only laughed at the remark. 

"But well, you will give me what I am asking for and I will give you something in return." 

"Well, I should at least be aware of what I am receiving before I make such a compromise."

"You shouldn’t." Baekhyun laughed loudly. "You don't have shit. You should thank me for saying even a word." 

"What makes you so confident, Baekhyun-ssi?" 

"How long have you been trying to find this information, Hoseok-ssi?" Baekhyun leaned forward, clapping his hands together again. "It took me 1 week." 

"I have always envied Junmyeon-ssi for having you by his side." 

"You should envy  _ anyone _ who has me by their side." Baekhyun was staring at Chanyeol. "Or maybe offer me a position in which you don't feel so jealous." 

"Baekhyun!" Chanyeol hissed again. 

"Honey, is that the only thing you can say?" Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

This was a very awkward situation. Baekhyun was clearly making sexual innuendos at Chanyeol, so maybe they were together. Wasn't he afraid of doing so in front of someone like Hoseok? Maybe he did not care. He really seemed like someone who didn't give a fuck about what others thought about him. It was a bit fun to watch. Jungkook truly envied him. He was smart. And by what Hoseok had said, he was smarter than most people. He was carefree when it came to his personal interests. It was clear that Chanyeol was something of his and he did not even try to hide it. 

"Fine." Hoseok smiled at him. "What do you want?" 

Baekhyun looked pleased. 

"Just for you not to interfere in Seoul." Baekhyun fluttered his eyes a few times. "We have the prerogative here." 

"That is not a small thing." 

"Neither is what I discovered." 

"Fine." Hoseok seemed a bit uncomfortable. "I will give you that."

Baekhyun hummed and stared back at Chanyeol with a grin. What he had done was no small thing. He had basically made himself and Chanyeol the people who would take care of Seoul until someone claimed the throne. If anyone actually managed to. In theory, Jungkook was the person who would inherit it, but he did not want it. That was not a life he wished to have. So that left Seokjin and Taehyung. Whoever won would take control of Seoul and of South Korea. It was not a small deal. 

"Good news, kid." Baekhyun grabbed Jungkook's hands. "Your mommy is alive and well." 

"WHAT?" Jungkook jolted from the sofa, staring at Baekhyun in disbelief. 

"Baekhyun-ssi." Hoseok had a dark tone. "I do not like to be lied to."

Jungkook sat back down, staring into nothingness. 

"Let me tell you the story." He straightened himself in his seat. "She is alive. The person Taehyung killed many years ago, was some prostitute from one of the Min's whorehouses." 

_ Bashed her skull so many times they had a hard time identifying her. _

What the fuck was going on? Jungkook's head was spinning wildly. His stomach was acting up and he was seriously close to passing out. How the fuck was his mother alive? And how did this Baekhyun guy know about this? Apparently, it was something many people had tried to find out, but did not really manage to discover anything about. 

"He killed the prostitute and told everyone it was her." Baekhyun sighed. "No one had the courage to doubt Old Min. So in the end, she was declared dead." 

"Who knows about this?" Hoseok seemed anxious. 

"Very few." Baekhyun smiled. "But you know me. I can be  _ very _ talkative." 

"Don't test my patience, Baekhyun-ssi." Hoseok had become dark again. 

The conversation topic changed and they talked about many things up until the sun rose. The light invaded the room making Hoseok yawn. He stood up and bid good night to everyone. Baekhyun and Chanyeol both nodded, but said nothing. Jungkook looked at both men and felt uncomfortable being alone in that room with them. He began to stand up to leave as well. 

"Sit down." Baekhyun ordered. 

Jungkook sat back down, not daring to try that man's patience.

"Chanyeol, go check." The man stood up and changed seats, sitting where Hoseok had once been sitting. 

Chanyeol did not even think twice before getting up and exiting the room. Exactly what kind of power did that man have? He made every single person in that room obey him without batting an eye. Hoseok and Chanyeol were both menacing and scary, yet both of them had done exactly what he had told them to. 

"I have zero to no patience for bullshit." Baekhyun crossed his legs. "So when I ask, you’d better answer."

"What do you want?"

"Where's the flashdrive?" Baekhyun tilted his head. 

"At my house." Jungkook was confused. "Why?" 

"Where is it?" Baekhyun rolled his eyes. 

"Inside my safe." Jungkook shifted in his seat. "Why do you want to know this?" 

"Good." Baekhyun leaned back on the chair. "Listen, I'm not a dick. If you want to know the story, I will tell you." 

"Tell me."

"Well it's been years since this all happened so a few details may have been lost. What we know is that Old Min did receive the correct information, but Kim Taehyung killed a prostitute instead. So this could be because he was tricked by someone or he understood who he was meant to kill and decided to kill someone else instead." 

"Why?" Jungkook was holding back the will to scream. 

"Why what?" 

"Why did he kill the wrong person?" Jungkook needed to know. 

"It is as I said." Baekhyun sighed. "I do not know if he was tricked by someone else into killing that prostitute or if he chose to kill her instead."

"He was just a kid, how could he know how to trick those people into thinking he had killed the real woman?"

"You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, Jungkook." Baekhyun was not happy. "When you are born with the disadvantages many of us faced, you become smarter a lot quicker. This is not a forgiving world, so to survive you do what you have to do." 

This sounded awfully similar to what Seulgi had once told him. They had all a dark story somehow. Jungkook was born and raised in a mansion. He always had what he wanted. He always had money. There had not been a moment in his childhood in which he had truly suffered whatever they seemed to have suffered as children. Jungkook could not even imagine what they all had done in order to survive. 

"Anyway, I know where she is now." Baekhyun's smile was back. "And that is why we need you alive." 

Chanyeol returned to the room. Baekhyun opened a big smile the moment he saw the other man. It was clear that it was more than just friendship and again Jungkook felt envious. He wanted to be able to show his feelings like that for someone. Even if their world did not approve of it. He had seen a lot of couples among the bosses, so it was normal and people were aware. Still, no one talked about it or demonstrated it. At least everyone except Baekhyun. He was happy to show it. 

"Honey, the star is in his safe." 

"We should go now." Chanyeol was dry. "Taehyung probably had the same idea." 

"Get up, kid." Baekhyun stood up. "You are going to hang out with us now." 

Jungkook followed both men out of the house so that they could go back to his apartment. The night had been long.  _ Too long _ . And Kook knew it was far from ending. Sleeping was not something he could just do at this moment. He sat in the back seat as he watched Baekhyun and Chanyeol in the front. It was interesting to watch. They were both cold to some extent, but Baekhyun seemed to exude a bit of warmth that Chanyeol did not have. It was as if they were complete opposites. But in the end, that went very well together.

The ride was fast since it was the first day of the year. People were not really out and about yet. The morning was cold and crisp. The empty roads made it even more eerie. It was strange to see Seoul like that. Quiet. It was almost funny. Things had changed so much and so much had happened that night and yet everything was so calm and quiet. It felt like fate was making a joke and for the first time it was actually funny. Jungkook could feel a small smile appear on the corner of his lips.  _ Pathetic _ . 

Chanyeol was clearly not a patient man. He would sigh every 2 seconds, ever since they had parked the car. He was not happy to be there. Jungkook was slightly bothered, but was not going to say anything. Chanyeol's hand was big.  _ Very _ big. Just the slap would be enough to throw him on the ground. Jungkook keyed in the pin and the door opened. He held the door so all of them could enter and he quickly took off his shoes. And the air that was warm was also sweet.  _ Taehyung _ . He stopped in the middle of the living room, turning his head around frantically. 

"Anything wrong?" Chanyeol was suspicious. 

"I thought I had smelled something." Jungkook dismissed his question. "It's nothing." 

"Safe. Move." Baekhyun wasn't really patient either. 

Jungkook stepped aside and walked into his bedroom. The scent was even stronger and he knew what that meant. The weirdest thing was that he would not normally smell it after Taehyung had left, much less expect for it to be lingering in the air. This was extremely unsettling and Kook shivered slightly. He could only hope that the other two men did not see it. He was definitely not in the mood to explain his relationship with Taehyung. 

He walked to the cabinet beside his bed and opened it. At first, no one would think that place had a safe, but as soon as it was opened, he pushed the dark panel in the back of the cabinet. It clicked open and Jungkook pulled it back, revealing a safe. Jungkook put the password on the keyboard and the door was unlocked. 

As soon as he opened it, he knew something was slightly off. The black box was inside, but underneath it there was a small red paper. It was not there before and he knew it. Baekhyun cleared his throat indicating he was impatient. Jungkook picked up the box and then took out the small note. 

"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Baekhyun tilted his head. 

"I'm tired." 

"Oh, really?" Baekhyun smiled and then pulled the red note out of Jungkook's hand. "And what might this be?" 

Jungkook sighed. 

"As expected." Baekhyun rolled his eyes and handed the note back. 

Jungkook put the box back inside the safe and looked down at the note. 

_ Do you smell it, baby? _

_ If you want it back, you know where to find me. _

Everything was always a game for Taehyung. What did he mean with that note? He could be anywhere. Jungkook sighed loudly. This was all pointless, but he could not be free from it. Baekhyun and Chanyeol would not let him go. And he also needed Baekhyun if he ever wanted to see his mother. He was the only person who could help him with that. So in the end, he needed to stay.

"We're done here." Baekhyun exited the room along with Chanyeol. 

Jungkook followed behind. His mind racing. 

The three men made their way back to the mansion and Jungkook did not utter a word for the entire drive. He was too absorbed in his own thoughts. The mother he had hated for so long, had abandoned him to save his life. And not only that, she was not dead. Things had changed too intensely and he was still trying to understand it all. The door opened and Jungkook looked up. Chanyeol seemed annoyed. 

"Would you mind getting out of my car?" He was dry. 

Jungkook apologized and left the car. He did not wait for either men as he made his way back inside. He was familiar with the house, but it still felt strange. Before he could realize, he was standing in front of Junmyeon's old office. It felt strange, so Jungkook let out a sigh. He looked around to see himself alone in the hallway. He sighed again and opened the door. The office was not empty. Seokjin was sitting inside smoking a cigarette. His eyes were filled with blood and murderous intent as he stared back at Jungkook. 

"Are you lost?" He had his calm and menacing tone. 

"I thought it was empty." Jungkook stepped back, slightly closing the door. 

"Sit." Seokjin ordered. 

Jungkook wanted to say no. He wanted to leave. But he saw himself sitting opposite Seokjin in that room. 

"Do you want something?" Jungkook fished out his own pack of smokes and lit one. 

"I am curious." Seokjin puffed on his cigarette and exhaled a large cloud of smoke. 

"About?" Jungkook was suspicious. 

"Do you think you will survive?" Seokjin smiled. "Do you truly believe that?" 

"I pity you, you know?" Jungkook sighed as he breathed out more smoke. "You spent your whole life trying to win, to kill me, to be the king. That is all your life is about. Were you ever happy? Do you even know what that is?" 

"I'm not a sentimentalist like you." 

"It's sad, isn't it?" Jungkook was tired. 

"Spare me of your pathetic feelings." Seokjin put out his cigarette. "I am not like you. I don't blame others for my own pathetic incompetence." 

Jungkook puffed again. 

"You see, that's the thing that always made me hate you." Seokjin laughed. "How a weak person like you could even be acknowledged." 

Seokjin stood up and walked towards the desk at the back of the room.

"My father had a soft spot when it came to you." Seokjin licked his lips. "Pathetic, I know. How could such a man even consider you worthy of anything?" 

Seokjin was now standing behind the desk, hands far apart as he placed them on the wooden surface. 

"It took me a while, but now I understand why." He smiled. "Loyalty is a complicated thing, you see. My father's loyalty to your mother made him protect you at all costs. Made him go against me. That was his mistake." 

"You speak of loyalty as if you knew it." Jungkook scoffed. 

"Unlike you, I am quite aware of what loyalty is." Seokjin spread his hands even further apart and leaned closer to the table. "I am loyal to the one person I know won't betray me.  _ Myself _ ." 

Jungkook's hand turned into a fist. 

"You go around acting as if you knew anything about loyalty and trust. You take the side of whoever says what you want to hear. So desperate for love and affection. Tell me, what did Taehyung say while he was fucking you? Did he say he loved you?"

That annoying laughter of his made Jungkook tremble with anger. He wanted to kill him. He should have done so. But now he was having to endure the venom being spilled from his lips. He had listened enough. So he just stood up to leave. 

"One last thing." Seokjin stopped him.

Jungkook turned to look at the other man. 

"I will kill both of you." 

"As if you would even get close to him to do so." 

"Taehyung?" Seokjin laughed loudly. "I was not referring to him." 

Jungkook swallowed. 

"I will make her dangle from the ceiling while you watch." 


	37. VICTORY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Jungkook could only stare. When did that man become so evil like that? He had trusted him so much and now all he felt was sadness. Seokjin had raised him. Taught him everything he knew and in the end it felt just as if he had been fattening a pig for slaughter. Jungkook would not give him the satisfaction of seeing him in pain, so he just left. Things had somehow become unbearable. His family. His life. Everything seemed like a big fucking nightmare. And he would never wake up from it. He knew it very well. 

The door slammed shut and Kook sighed loudly. The pain in his chest was back and it was extremely excruciating. He had not felt this pain in a while so he had become unfamiliar with it. He forced himself to walk down the hallway to avoid being caught by Seokjin when he left the office. Every step felt as if he was a step closer to death. He clutched his chest and twisted his fingers against the fabric of his shirt. It was almost as if he was being choked. The feeling reminded him of Taehyung's last words to him. Seeing his last breath. Kook reached the end of the hallway and hid himself inside one of the rooms. As soon as the door closed, he leaned against it, hoping it would make him more stable. Unfortunately, it didn't. 

Jungkook tried to stand, but he ended up sliding down and hitting the ground with a thud. He was lying on the ground, grabbing his chest. The pain was unbearable. Almost as if he was back in that abandoned warehouse being stabbed over and over again. This was the worst pain he had ever felt and he was now going through it all again. Tears began to stream down his face. Kook couldn't take it anymore. Everything he had been through ever since Seokjin's father had died, had been too much on him. The price had been too high and he just could not take it any longer. Kook was sobbing like a child. He eventually closed his eyes but did not have the courage to open them. He passed out. 

"Are you up?" The voice made Jungkook open his eyes. 

The sun was shining bright through the sheer white curtains, blinding him slightly. He was lying on his bed and Seokjin was sitting on the edge. Jungkook was still a teenager at that moment, but Seokjin had already turned into a young man.  _ Always handsome. _ He had that unique smile on his face, the one he had whenever he made Jungkook feel pain. It always seemed as if he was plotting something. Like he wanted to hurt him whenever he saw him. But Kook refused to believe his brother truly wanted to do such a thing. This was just what he had learned from his father. It was sad, actually. Even though he had endured so much in the hands of Seokjinie, Jungkook still loved him dearly. 

"Are you feeling better?" Seokjin sounded truly worried. 

"What happened?" Jungkook was confused.

The last thing he remembered was trying to walk back to his room after lunch. 

"You passed out all of a sudden." 

Jungkook was staring at Seokjin, trying to rearrange his thoughts. 

"I think it was something I ate." Jungkook shrugged. "I don't know." 

"Do you feel any better?" Seokjin was back to his cold demeanor. 

"Me?" Jungkook always liked it when Seokjin showed genuine concern for him. It felt warm.

Seokjin arched an eyebrow. 

"I'm sorry." Jungkook sighed. "I'm confused." 

"Did you take  _ something _ ?" 

"Something?" He looked at his brother with fear on his face.

"I will take that as a no." Seokjin sighed. "I hope you are not lying to me."

"I swear,  _ hyung _ !" Jungkook felt desperate. 

Jungkook pushed the covers to the side and crawled closer to the edge of the bed. He had to be fast, so as soon as he reached Seokjin, he hugged him. He could feel the stiffness and he knew that he could only count to 3 before it was time to let go. Jungkook smiled at him and let go. For some reason that made him happy. A bit more than it usually did. It felt good. Seokjin cleared his throat and left him alone again. He hated being alone, but he had gained his daily dose of affection. When Jimin wasn't home, it would always be harder to gain any kind of affection from his father or Seokjin. So this felt special. 

The night came and Jungkook was fast asleep when he heard noises coming from downstairs. It seemed like something had been broken. A vase or a glass. He quickly got out of bed and headed for the door, opening it carefully. The noises became even louder. He was familiar with that sound. Seokjin and his father were arguing again. Jungkook sighed. He got out of his bedroom and headed downstairs. The sound always came from the same place- his father's office. Kook made sure he was as quiet as possible and walked near the door. 

_ "YOU UNGRATEFUL CUNT!" _ His father screamed. 

Something else was broken and Jungkook flinched at the sound. 

_ "You are just a weak old man." _ Jungkook could see Seokjin's face as he said that. It was cold.

_ "I should have killed you long ago." _ His father was a harsh man and Jungkook knew it. This was his normal kind of argument, always threatening.  _ "Your mother would be disgusted to have such a creature as her son." _

_ "Is this the best you can do?" _ Seokjin was always calm.  _ "Using my mother against me?" _

There was silence in the room. 

_ "I am not weak like you." _ Seokjin had a way with his words that would make anyone feel easily humiliated, even his own father.  _ "I do not have time to deal with those pathetic feelings you have towards that weak fuck. I am not like you, nor will I ever be." _

_ "You-"  _ His father's dark tone was easy to distinguish, but he was interrupted. 

_ "I am not finished." _ Seokjin's tone was even darker. It was extremely scary.  _ "There are those who are supposed to stand tall and those who are supposed to bow. You are the latter and in the end, you pathetic fuck, you will bow to me. You will kneel in front of me and beg for mercy. And I will end your life with a smile on my face." _

This was extremely scary. Jungkook always felt as if Seokjin had something else to him. How could a young man talk like that? How could he say things like that, like it didn't even matter? Like he could end someone else's life so easily. Sometimes Jungkook was certain that his brother was indeed a psychopath. But he always shooed those thoughts away. Seokjinie was his brother and he was only like that because of how his father treated him. It was hard to deal with that man. 

_ "I do not intend to let you live for long." _ His father was an evil man. 

_ "Neither do I." _ Jungkook could hear Seokjin's faint laugh.  _ "Neither you nor him." _

Jungkook was confused as to who was the second person. He was staring into nothing trying to make sense of what he had just heard and he did not hear the door open. Seokjin was now staring at him. His face was grim and his eyes were bloodshot. This was bad and Jungkook knew it. 

"You." Seokjin hissed.

"I'm sorry,  _ hyung _ ." Jungkook bowed, trying to avoid his brother's eyes. "I heard something breaking. I was worried you had gotten hurt." 

"I am fine." Seokjin was cold. 

Jungkook nodded and stepped back. Getting away from Seokjin in a time like this was a matter of life and death. He knew how his brother would get whenever he had an argument with his father. Jungkook's breath hitched from the fear. 

"Go back to your room, Jungkook." Seokjin ordered. 

Jungkook bowed again as he retreated. He was not a match for Seokjin and he knew it. Leaving was the best choice at that moment. They could try to talk in another moment. 

"Jungkook." Seokjin suddenly called him. "How much did you hear?" 

"M-most of it." Jungkook admitted with fear in his words as he turned to face his brother again. 

"Good." Seokjin had a menacing smirk on his lips. "I hope you will remember that." 

"What father said?" Jungkook was confused.

"No." Seokjin stepped closer. "What  _ I _ said." 

Kook stepped back, afraid of what his brother would do to him. Jungkook was shivering and that made Jin laugh. That one laugh he did whenever he was amused by someone else's suffering. He would do that to anyone he felt like it. Him, Jimin, or the staff. Everyone feared him on a different level. There was nothing like Kim Seokjin. Nothing was as threatening as him. He had the most beautiful menacing face in the world. He looked calm and poised, but he was dark to his core. He liked to inclifct pain and suffering- everyone knew that. It was not a secret or a mystery. But he would always do it with class. 

Seokjin walked past Jungkook leaving his perfume in the air. Jungkook shivered at the sheer smell. That sweetness that always bothered him. It was everywhere all the time. Jungkook did not really remember when he had begun to feel nauseous from that smell, but at some point it had happened. The flowery sweetness that haunted him. Made him shiver whenever he smelled it. It was Seokjin. It always meant he was close. 

Jungkook waited for a long time before going upstairs. He did not want to run into his brother. He walked up the stairs calmly trying to make as little noise as possible. Jin's room was at the end of the hallway, but he was still afraid he would hear. Kook walked to his bedroom and got inside as quickly as possible. Darkness had enveloped the room. It was truly hard to see, but when his eyes finally adjusted Jungkook could see a faint silhouette in the darkness. It was tall and menacing. He froze in place. Sweat broke from his forehead as he stared at the shadow. 

"You know, Jeon Jungkook." Seokjin's tone was cold. "Listening to other people's conversation is very wrong."

Jungkook was having trouble breathing as the shadow walked towards him. 

"It is  _ very _ impolite." 

"I'm sorry,  _ hyung _ ." Jungkook was almost begging. 

"You won't do it again, will you?"

"Never, sir!" 

"Good." Seokjin was even closer now. "It would be a shame if you broke your promise." 

"I swear." Jungkook was scared. 

"You would not lie to me, would you?" 

"Never!"

"You wouldn't betray me either, would you?" Seokjin was smiling, but this was his dark side. The side Jungkook hated to see. 

"Don't  _ ever _ betray me, Jungkook." Seokjin's tone was extremely threatening. "I do not forgive those who betray me." 

"I will never betray you, hyung." Jungkook was trembling. 

"Good." 

Seokjin walked past him and left. As soon as the door closed, Jungkook collapsed. The tears began to stream down his face. He loved his brother, but at some point he had become extremely scared of him. Something had changed and he did not know why. Yet, there would always be love, he knew that. Seokjin had protected him so many times. He had stood by his side so many times. Kook would never betray him.  _ Ever. _ This was not something that was on his mind and he knew it would not change. Seokjin was his family. You don't betray family. 

"Rise and shine." A voice called to him. 

Jungkook slowly opened his eyes again. He was lying on the ground and there was someone crouching next to him. Kook blinked a few times to try to focus and he could faintly see a smile. The pain in his chest was gone. Still, he felt discomfort all over. It was like he had been run over or something. Just like he had felt after he had woken up after being stabbed and hurt. It was painful again. Kook tried to stand, but a hand held him down. 

"You stay down." The man pushed him back. "Breathe slowly." 

_ Baekhyun. _

"I'm," Jungkook's voice was hoarse and cracked. "fine." 

He wasn't, but he could not let that man see him like that. Weaknesses would always be used against him. He had experienced it time and time again, and he was tired. Jungkook pushed against the hand and was finally able to sit down. He was near the door so he shifted and slowly leaned against it. 

"What happened?" Baekhyun had a serious face.

"Low blood pressure." Lying was better than saying he had had a serious panic attack that had made him pass the fuck out. 

"You are such a bad liar." Baekhyun laughed as he stood up again. "Get up." 

Kook used the hand the other man offered him to stand up. Everything was a bit wobbly, but he managed to stand up straight. Baekhyun was staring at him, intrigued. He always had that face. As if everything in the world was interesting to him. Everything was worth his attention. It was strange, but it was nice to look at. 

"What time is it?" Jungkook managed to ask as he patted the dust from his clothes. 

"A little after 2." Baekhyun stared at his watch. 

"PM?" Jungkook was confused, since the room was dark. 

"AM." Baekhyun laughed. "I have been looking for you for a while." 

He had stayed in that room for the whole day. Strangely, no one had come in as they looked for him. Or maybe just Baekhyun and Chanyeol were the only ones after him. For some reason he felt lucky. 

"Fuck." Jungkook hissed. 

"Something wrong?" 

"Nothing." Jungkook turned to leave, but a hand grabbed him and pulled him back. 

"You are coming with me." 

"Where?" Jungkook hissed again. 

"Didn't he say that you should find him?" Baekhyun grinned. 

_ Annoying fuck. _

"Oh." Jungkook was caught off guard. "But-"

"I did you a favor." Baekhyun opened the door. "Now you  _ owe _ me." 

_ Fuck. _

If he knew where Taehyung wanted to meet, he would never have agreed on going. This was evil to say the least. Chanyeol and Baekhyun walked behind him as Jungkook forced himself to walk the steps to the front door. He had counted them every single time he went to  _ his _ apartment. Counting every single step that made him go closer to pain. At some point the painful feeling was replaced by numbness. He would not feel anything as he walked, he just knew he would be getting hurt at some point. It did not matter anymore. And it did not matter now. This was truly evil. The pain was not there anymore, but the memories were. Kook was now standing in front of the door. 

"Are we waiting for someone?" Chanyeol was always impatient. 

Jungkook sighed as he keyed in the password on the keyboard. It clicked open and he pushed the door calmly. Jackson's apartment was just as it had been the last time he had been there on New Year. It was dark and gloomy. Just as it had always been. Only this time it smelled sweet and metallic.  _ Taehyung _ . He was there. Either that or there were flowers covered in blood somewhere. Someone would say it was easier to believe that it was just his scent, but knowing Taehyung, the latter was just as possible. 

He took the time to take off his shoes and go into the apartment. Chanyeol and Baekhyun had already gone inside and he couldn't see them anymore. 

"Motherfucker!" Chanyeol growled loudly. 

Jungkook was startled. He kicked his shoes off and entered the adjacent room, only to fall to his knees and threw up. Taehyung was a sick motherfucker.  _ Very _ sick indeed. In the middle of the living room, there was a dead body. Not just anyone, Chanyeol's trusted man. If this was just a dead body, it would be normal for Jungkook. Yet it wasn't. This was Taehyung's art. The man was hanging high in the room, almost at the ceiling. His blood pouring down on a sea of lilies. Some white and some red. What hung him up was his intestine, used as some sort of rope. This was just disgusting. Kook was still kneeling on the ground as he stared at the bloody lilies in front of him. 

" _ So _ dramatic." Baekhyun was unimpressed. 

Jungkook stared at both of them as he cleaned his lips and stood up again. Chanyeol was pissed. He walked towards the young man, blood in his eyes. Jungkook was not going to stop him from doing whatever he wanted. Chanyeol approached him and picked him up by his collar. He was ready to kill him, no matter the consequences. 

"Chanyeol, honey." Baekhyun placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Let go." 

Jungkook stared at the tall man as he growled. It was scary. Suddenly, something caught his attention.  _ Footsteps _ . Was Taehyung there? It seemed unlikely, but still things had changed dramatically. Maybe he was trying to finish things once and for all. 

"Dramatic?" A deep voice resonated in the room. "I feel offended." 

_ Taehyung _ . 

"I will kill you!" Chanyeol was pissed. "You fucking psychopath." 

"I see you brought the midget." 

"Always a pleasure, Taehyung-ssi." Baekhyun grinned. 

Taehyung had still not shown his face. His voice came from every single corner of the room, but he was not there. He caught himself longing. He wanted to see Taehyung. 

"You know I can't just give it to you." The dark laughter was back. 

"I am not in the mood to negotiate." Baekhyun rolled his eyes. 

"You are ambitious, aren't you?" The footsteps sounded closer. "And smart." 

"I will accept the compliment." Baekhyun put his hands in his pocket as he signaled to Chanyeol with his eyes. 

The footsteps were closer. 

"If you're so smart, Baekhyun-ssi." Jungkook was looking around as the voice came closer. "Do you really think he will give you what you want?" 

Jungkook stopped and stared. He was talking about Hoseok and the deal he had made with the two of them. How did he know? Jungkook clearly remembered who was in that room that day. There was no way he would know about that. How could he? 

"I am sure he won't, Taehyung-ssi." Baekhyun laughed loudly. "I am counting on that." 

_ What?  _

"So smart." Taehyung's voice was extremely close now. "You chose well, Chanyeol-ah." 

Jungkook turned his head frantically, looking for the owner of the voice. He did not have to look for long. Taehyung was coming down the stairs near the office. He looked extremely handsome in his all black outfit. Long coat and turtleneck. It was indeed a beautiful sight. Jungkook could see the malicious smile forming- the one Taehyung saved for him. It affected him in a very complicated way, so Jungkook had no choice other than to turn and look away. 

"I like your ambition, Baekhyun-ssi." Taehyung walked past Jungkook, not even bothering to look at him. 

The man stopped in front of the dead body and stared at it, admiring it. 

"Some people crave money and fame." He laughed. "Those are the ones we do not pay any mind to. They will die sooner than the rest. Their own trivial desires are the reason they do not last long in this world. They spend their time and money on drugs, sex and other useless hings to appease their desire." 

Taehyung turned to face Baekhyun. He had a dark smile on his face and Jungkook knew this would be bad. 

"Then there are those like you and me." He walked closer to the other man, making Chanyeol growl as he stepped forward. Taehyung laughed at the movement then moved even closer. "We are different from them. They ignore us and act as if we belong to them, but the truth is that we are much better than any of them. We make them afraid. Don't we? " 

Baekhyun was amused, the smile on his lips was a clear indication. Jungkook swallowed hard.

"But there must always be balance." Taehyung's fingers brushed against Baekhyun's cheek as he turned his gaze to Chanyeol. It almost seemed flirtatious. "There must always be those who can understand this ungrateful world we live in and those who stand at the base, being nothing more than animals, beasts." 

The fingers ran up and down his cheek. Jungkook's palms were sweating. This was jealousy and he knew it. Taehyung was probably doing this on purpose.

"Since you're so smart." Taehyung turned back to face Baekhyun. "I believe you will not disappoint me." 

_ What? _

"I must say, Taehyung-ssi." Baekhyun walked past Taehyung and closer to Chanyeol. "I always found it funny that you did not try to do something to me, even though you knew that I was aware of your plan. I knew it was you who arranged for me to meet Junmyeon and who gave me my position. And you  _ knew _ that I was aware of it all." 

" _ Gave _ you?" Chanyeol was caught off guard. 

"Smart indeed." Taehyung laughed. "You could even be considered a threat."

"Honey, don't act so shocked." Baekhyun smiled. "I have no intention of pulling the strings, but I have no intention of being used either. I am not stupid and I will not be treated as if I was. There must be a head, but without a body they are nothing. Taehyung understands this as much as I do." 

Chanyeol seemed shocked.  _ Too _ shocked.  _ Fuck. _

"People who come from the bottom have to make their way up somehow." Baekhyun turned to Jungkook. "Not all of us were born in a mansion with a silver spoon in our mouths." 

"Precisely." Taehyung walked closer to Jungkook. "Chanyeol-ah, your boyfriend is smarter than you." 

"And  _ you _ , don't forget that." Baekhyun grinned at Taehyung. "That is why you need me." 

"Baekhyun!" Chanyeol hissed. 

"Honey, you kill people for a living." Baekhyun was angry this time. "I am doing what people like you and me must do- survive. That is what we do, whether you like it or not."

"I should have known that you would do something like this." Chanyeol growled at Taehyung. 

"You knew, you just did not want to admit it." Taehyung was having fun. "And I just did you a favor." 

Taehyung pointed at the dead body. He had a creepy smile on his face. He seemed to be having fun, but at the same time there was a hint of something else. Something Jungkook did not know, but made him anxious. Almost panic. The smell in the room was becoming stronger by the minute. The nausea in Jungkook's stomach was growing more intense. 

"A favor?" Chanyeol hissed. "You psychotic fuck."

"This idiot, you so blindly trusted, was working for Seokjin." Baekhyun was cold. "So he had to be dealt with."

"You..." Chanyeol was incredulous. 

"Don't worry, my hands are not dirty." Baekhyun grinned. "That is what people like you and Taehyung-ssi are for." 

"He betrayed you, darling." Taehyung had a dark demeanor. "Just like  _ me _ ." 

"What the fuck is going on?" Jungkook's voice was loud and made everyone look back at him. 

People were staring, but only one of those pair of eyes actually caught Jungkook's attention. Taehyung's malicious smile was all over his lips. Jungkook knew this was bad, but he could not stop staring. He could not take his eyes off the man that was going to kill him at some point. It was not interest or curiosity anymore. This had become something else. Something he had no idea what it was, yet he would crave for his attention whenever they stood together in the same room. 

"Don't worry, baby." Taehyung pinched his chin and made him stare into his eyes. "I promise it won't hurt.  _ Much _ ." 

Baekhyun laughed as he put his hand around Chanyeol's waist and led him towards the entrance. Baekhyun looked over his shoulder and smiled, as if he was warning him. As if there was a hint of worry in his eyes. This was fucked up in many ways. He could only stare at that man as he disappeared from his sight. Part of him wanted to scream for help. Beg him to take him along. Yet Jungkook had forgotten how to breathe. He could not produce a sound and was now choking on himself. The air was there, but he just could not breathe. 

He was alone with Taehyung again. 

"Finally." Taehyung sighed. 

Jungkook stepped back. He was scared. 

"Sit down, Jungkook." Taehyung's tone was aggressive. 

Jungkook only stepped further back, the fear growing by the minute. Taehyung looked at him with blood in his eyes. This was  _ seriously _ bad. 

"I won't ask you twice." Taehyung hissed. 

Jungkook finally obeyed. He looked around and sat in one of the armchairs that was behind him. He chose the furthest away possible. Somehow, in his mind, this would be safer.  _ It wasn't. _ Taehyung's demeanor was ice cold and dark. Not any type of dark. It was the darkness he had seen before. The darkness from the day he almost choked him to death. It was not threatening, it was sad. Jungkook never wanted for that man to look at him like that. They both had fucked up, so there was no turning back. There was no future and the past had become hard to remember. It was not frightening anymore- it was sad and lonely. 

"You will leave." Taehyung was staring at his hands, rubbing the pad of his thumb against the other fingers. 

"I-" 

"I'm done." Taehyung sighed as he interrupted Jungkook. 

"Done?" 

"Yes." He seemed to be rubbing his fingers even more. "Done." 

"I have no idea what you are trying to say."

"Why did you stay?" Taehyung looked up at him. "Why are you still here?" 

"I have no idea." Jungkook mumbled. 

"Good." Taehyung was as cold as ice. "So you will leave."

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Jungkook knew that was a stupid question, but he still asked it. As if he wanted that answer more than anything else. He _ needed _ it. 

"Do you want me to?" 

Taehyung would normally say that with a sarcastic kind of smile on his lips or even a grin, yet he was cold and distant. There was nothing on his face. 

"I'm not in the mood for your games." Jungkook tried to seem calm. 

"Leave." 

"And if I don't want to anymore?" Jungkook was being a brat, but he had his reasons.

"Then don't." Taehyung turned his back to him. "You will only die sooner." 

"Then kill me already!" Jungkook was mad. 

Taehyung was agile. Jungkook had heard him curse under his breath and a mere second later, he had already turned again and was close to Jungkook. A mere inches from his face. That was not the main issue. The pain in his neck was the real problem. Jungkook could feel the cold metal on his neck and he did not have to look down to see that Taehyung had slightly cut his throat. It was not a deep cut, but it drew blood. Jungkook could feel the liquid flow down his neck. 

"Don't think that I wouldn't." Taehyung's face remained cold. "It is truly easy for me to end your life." 

"Is it?" Jungkook sighed. 

Taehyung tilted his head slightly. 

"You always act as if it was extremely easy to kill me." Jungkook was staring deep into his eyes. "You have threatened to do so on so many occasions, yet you never did. Is it  _ really _ that easy?" 

The other man's face suddenly changed. Taehyung was smiling. 

"Darling," Taehyung's tone was soft, yet menacing. "It seems that I act so well that you got confused."

Jungkook swallowed hard. He knew exactly what this was because he had experienced it so many times before with Seokjin. This was humiliation. That man's favourite pastime. 

"I hate having to repeat myself, but I will do it one last time. Just for  _ you _ ." Taehyung leaned closer and tilted Jungkook's chin up. "I will not love you. I will not give you affection and you will never have me." 

The knife cut deeper and Jungkook could not help but flinch at the pain. It amused Taehyung. 

"The only thing you had to do, was to  _ obey _ ." Taehyung leaned even closer as he whispered in Jungkook's ear. 

He wanted to say he would obey. That he would make things right. Jungkook felt nauseous. Taehyung's smell was extremely intense or maybe it was the bloody mess that was behind him. Whatever it was, it made Jungkook's stomach turn. His mind was racing and he could almost hear his own heart thumping inside his ribcage. It was at this moment that he understood it all. Taehyung had led him down this road. He had done everything in his power to make Jungkook obey. He did not know why that man had done so. Maybe for his own entertainment or maybe because he needed Jungkook to behave like that so that his plan could work. 

This was his power. Taehyung knew he could control Jungkook with a few words and actions. He knew that if he gave Jungkook the opportunity to redeem himself after all he had done, gave him the chance to make his wrongs right, he would take it. The manipulative son of a bitch did all that. He said those words because he knew Jungkook would feel compelled to make things right, even if that meant that he would develop some level of Stockholm Syndrome. Taehyung did not care. Jungkook had finally realized. 

All this time, everything had been carefully planned like that. Everything Taehyung had ever done was to make sure Jungkook followed the path he wanted him to follow. From the day they had met until this point, everything had been carefully planned. Every single word and action had been carefully thought through and that was Taehyung's power. No one could do it like him. As he said, he had been doing this for a long time, so exactly just how long had he been controlling Jungkook? When had he even started doing that? In the end, Jungkook had been so enticed by that man that he truly wanted to obey. 

Would it be so bad? That question kept buzzing inside his head. Would it be wrong? It wouldn't. That would only mean that after so long, he had chosen a side. It was not like he could side with Seokjin. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were also apparently working for Taehyung. Every single person he had ever met was somehow connected to Taehyung. The few exceptions would end up killing him. Hoseok and Seokjin were together and he knew that those two would kill him faster than Taehyung. There was nothing left. Jungkook hated the thought of being alone. He did not want to stay alone anymore. He wanted to have at least one person in his life. Could this person be Taehyung? Could he let go of everything else and just stay by his side? This was a stupid choice and he knew it. Yet, it was one he was willing to make. He was willing to take the risk. 

"I'll do it." Jungkook sighed. 

"Do what?" Taehyung's tone was curious. 

"Obey." Jungkook was not tense nor helpless- he was sure and that translated in his tone. "I will obey you." 

"Why should I believe you?" Taehyung stepped back and stared at Jungkook with amusement in his face. "You even tried to kill me." 

_ Spiteful dick. _

"You can kill me if I try again." Jungkook tried to make this sound a little less complicated, almost funny. 

"Or I can kill you now." Taehyung grinned. 

"You won't." Jungkook felt brave. "You want this." 

"Oh, do I?" Taehyung raised his eyebrow. 

"You won." Jungkook sighed. 

Taehyung looked at Jungkook and grinned. He knew he had won. Jungkook had finally chosen his side. He now had everything he wanted and needed. He could kill Jungkook, but he knew that deep down Taehyung had plans for him. The reason he was still alive was because that man needed him for something else. Something Jungkook would only know when it happened. It probably had something to do with his mother or maybe he would just use Jungkook for his own pleasure. So many thoughts crossed his mind. And in the end, nothing mattered. He had chosen. Taehyung finally owned him entirely. Jungkook was no longer free, but he was not alone anymore. At that moment, that was what truly mattered. 

"Was it that hard?" Taehyung smiled. 

At that moment Jungkook confirmed it. This had been part of his plan and Jungkook had fallen into his trap again. But this time he did not feel angry about it. He accepted it. Taehyung had truly won. 

"No." Jungkook sighed. 

"Now," Taehyung extended his hand to Jungkook. "Let's go kill Kim Seokjin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh well...  
> The end is VERY close!


	38. SURPRISE

Jungkook was not going to argue. This had been Taehyung's plan for a long time. Seokjin's death was the last step for Taehyung to take the throne. Jungkook had become his pawn, so now he was going to help him achieve what he wanted. What he had worked so long for. Kook was not particularly fond of the idea, but he had made his decision. He would take the risk. For a single moment, he wished Jimin was still alive. Jungkook remembered every single moment he had helped him and talked to him. He wished he had someone to talk to. Someone to show him the way, whichever it was. Or maybe this time there would be no one. Kook would be the one choosing his way and dealing with the consequences. Maybe this was growing up in this world. There would not be anyone anymore.

It suddenly dawned on him. He had chosen Taehyung because he did not want to be alone, yet he had not considered the fact that this world was the loneliest one. It was as Seokjin had once said- you cannot trust anyone. So in the end, he had chosen a side but that did not make him any less lonely. He could never trust Taehyung. He could never tell that man his deepest secrets. He could never share his true mind, that was not a possibility. Jungkook was now forever alone in a world of betrayal and darkness. He felt numb. 

"Jungkook?" Taehyung called him. 

The young man looked up to see Taehyung a few feet from him, seriousness in his face. The smell was gone. For some reason every single thing was gone. It was the same as that night in Gwangju. No smell. No feelings. Nothing. Numbness took over him, but he managed to stand up. Jungkook walked past Taehyung and headed for the door. The light footsteps followed. Kook did not bother to look back or to wait. The numbness that dominated his body was what made him not care. It felt strange again and for some reason Jungkook felt that it would take much longer than a few days for him to go back to normal. If he ever did. 

They were out of that apartment, away from that awful place. Still, the outside did not feel any better. It felt the same, looked the same. Everything felt grim and sad. Jungkook made his way towards the elevator and pressed the button. Taehyung joined him a couple of seconds later. Kook wanted to look at him, try to guess what was going inside his mind. But he did not really have to think much. Taehyung had only one thing in his mind and that was killing Kim Seokjin. He would take the throne soon after making Seoul and South Korea his. What would Jungkook be? His lover? Mistress? Right arm? Friend? Was there even a position for him? 

"Something on your mind, baby?" Taehyung was smiling at Jungkook from inside the elevator. 

He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he did not even see the elevator opening its doors. Yes, there was a lot on his mind but he would never share it with Taehyung. No more giving him material to use against him. He would not know what his true feelings were, making it impossible for him to attack the spots he knew would make Jungkook bend. He had learned it the hard way. It was all Taehyung could do- manipulate. He refused to answer as he got inside the elevator and pressed the button. The doors closed with a certain calm, but somehow it felt as if it was closing on more than just a floor. Kook inhaled deeply. 

They arrived at the garage. This time Jungook let Taehyung lead the way. He was surprised even though he had no more reason to be. Nothing was unexpected when it came to Taehyung. He would do everything for a reason, with an ulterior motive. Everything was always carefully thought through and would be done in a way to hurt and bother the target. Taehyung clicked on the key and a car flashed its lights. It wasn't an ordinary car, it was his Mercedez. Somehow Taehyung had acquired the keys and was now driving it around. Jungkook let his eyes travel to the other man as they made their way to the car and he could see the dark smile on those lips. He inhaled again. 

Taehyung entered the car and Jungkook followed. Everything seemed a bit too dark and grimm to his taste, but maybe that was just the aura Taehyung exuded. It was just how his world was. Nothing exciting about it. Maybe he felt excited by killing people, making people suffer and things like that. If Jungkook was to live in such a world, he might as well accept that new reality. Or not. Maybe he wouldn't live long enough to fully experience that world. There were many possibilities, but none of them seemed good. Just a bunch of suffering and blood. Not really different from the time he had spent with Jackson. He felt the urge to inhale again, but this time it was a bit louder. 

"I swear that if you inhale again, I will choke you to death." Taehyung had a calm tone behind his threat. 

Jungkook turned to him with a little shock on his face. 

"Sorry." He mumbled. 

"You're restless." Taehyung grinned. "Speak." 

"Where are we going?" 

"I have to talk to Seulgi first." Taehyung turned to face Jungkook when they stopped at the red light. "She is handling some affairs for me. For  _ us _ ." 

Jungkook hummed as he turned to face the road.  _ Us _ . That sounded disgusting coming from his mouth. It sounded dirty and low. When had things gotten so fucked up? Jungkook was confused with himself. Taehyung started the car again and they sped through the streets on their way to meet Seulgi. Jungkook was deep in his thoughts again. 

"Why did you lie?" Jungkook spoke, but he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth. 

"About?" 

"My mother." Jungkook was staring ahead, unsure of the outcome of his question. 

"That." Taehyung seemed annoyed. "She didn't deserve to die. Not because of that cunt." 

"Seokjin?" 

"Old Min." Taehyung almost spit the name. The disgust was clear. "Greedy fuck." 

Jungkook remained silent. Taehyung gave him a look and then focused back on the road. 

"I grew up in that house." Taehyung laughed. "I was used by him for his dirty jobs. I just got tired of it. Of him." 

"You pitied my mother?" 

Taehyung glared at Jungkook again, his eyes were dark. He was angry. 

"No." He snarled. "She didn't deserve it." 

Jungkook said nothing, but Taehyun sighed. 

"I was going to kill her." He focused back on the road. "But I had an idea." 

"What idea?" 

"She was an interesting person." Taehyun grinned again, but it seemed to be because of something in his mind. "So I decided to keep her alive." 

Jungkook could push further to try to get more answers, but he risked getting Taehyung angry and that was never a good idea. He let it be, even though he wanted the information about his mother. He just wanted to see her once. Know what she looked like. If Taehyung knew about this, he would surely kill that woman. He would use her to get to him. That man could never know. He could never be aware of how much Jungkook wanted to see his mother for the first time. As pathetic as it seemed, he regretted everything he had said about her. He somehow was happy he had a mother. 

The car became silent again as Taehyung drove. Jungkook was not in the mood for talking anymore. He let that tiny space become quiet, but he was suffocating. It was not the smell anymore. Taehyung's scent was weak and barely there. But the air inside that car was thick. Jungkook was breathing calmly, trying to keep centered. He had to relax. No more over thinking or suffering for things that were out of his control. It was a nice thought, yet a very hard task. He was scared. Deep down what he felt was fear. He was sure of it. Fear of dying. Fear of killing Seokjin, fear of meeting his mother and most important of all, fear of being around Taehyung. 

The movement suddenly stopped and Jungkook realized they had arrived. It was not a place he knew. It was a three-storey building somewhere in the city. He could not really tell where they were. It was not rundown or anything- actually, it was very clean. Everything in that street was awfully clean and taken care of. It all looked a bit expensive. It was still the middle of the night, so darkness was permeating every single inch in that small street and the cold wind was biting into his skin. Jungkook stared at the building for a few seconds after exiting the car. Taehyung stopped beside him, puffing a foggy cloud with his breath. 

"Curious?" The deep voice ringed in his ear. 

"Where are we?"

"Somewhere special." Taehyung laughed as he began to walk away. "It's a surprise." 

Jungkook tilted his head slightly, but followed the other man. Taehyung opened the black door and both of them entered the building. It was a very large room, but it was empty. The lights were on and there were 3 metal chairs in the middle of the room. There was a blonde woman sitting with her back to them. Seulgi. She immediately stood up and turned to face them. Blonde suited her. She bowed to them, but regarded Jungkook with a grimace as she straightened back up. 

"Sir." Her voice was slightly hoarse and Jungkook could see she was trembling slightly. 

"I take things were hard for you." Taehyung sat down on one of the chairs. 

"It does not matter, sir." She tried to smile. 

"Well, you are alive." He grinned. "That is what matters." 

"I was lucky." She looked down. 

For the first time in his life, that woman had fear on her face. Jungkook could tell. 

"He came for you?" Taehyung tilted his head. 

The woman nodded. 

"Well," His tone was calm, but Jungkook could see he was annoyed. "He probably wanted to send a message." 

Seulgi nodded again. She stood up and sighed as she took off her coat. She then began to take off her shirt as she turned around. Jungkook turned his head slightly, a bit embarrassed by the half naked woman in front of him. It was not something he felt comfortable with. However, he could not take his eyes off her once they landed on her back. There it was. It had been cut into her skin with a knife or something sharp. Maybe a scalpel. The lines were perfectly aligned. It almost looked like a perfectionist had done it.  _ Whore. _ The skin was reddened and swollen. She was probably in so much pain. That word was disgustingly engraved in her skin. Something she would never forget. Seokjin had done that to her. He had truly done it to her. This was certainly not going to end well. Seulgi put her shirt back on. Trembleling when the fabric touched the wound. 

"I was wondering why you were gone for so long." Taehyung grinned. "Annoying fuck." 

"He found me, sir." She sighed. 

"Where?" Taehyung sighed as well. 

"Your house." She lowered her head. "He knew everything." 

Jungkook saw Taehyung's body stiffen. He had that look that would set upon his face whenever he wanted to kill someone. The murderous aura was back. It was so scary. Jungkook could only swallow. He did not know if Seulgi was going to get out of that room alive and he immediately felt bad for her. He did not like her that much, that was true. But he did not think she deserved to die. No one did actually. But Taehyung did not think the same way as he did. Killing was a necessity for him. It was part of his routine. 

"I see." He tapped his thigh with his fingers. "He outdid himself this time." 

"I am sorry, sir." Seulgi's voice was low. 

"Don't." Taehyung growled, a grimace on his face. "Lay low until I contact you again. Disappear." 

The woman put on her coat and bowed politely. She turned and left the building, letting the cool air invade the room when she opened the door. Jungkook shivered slightly when the cold hit his face. He did not have the courage to stare at Taehyung. He probably had that dark look on his face and Jungkook did not want to risk making him look at him like that. There was always the possibility of him lashing out on Jungkook. He did not want that. 

"Are you shocked?" Taehyung suddenly said. 

"N-no." Jungkook was taken aback by the calmness. 

"Don't." He glared at him. 

"What?" Jungkook was confused. 

"Don't fucking pity people just because you can't endure what they can." 

Jungkook looked at him for a second. This was Taehyung lashing out. He did nothing, yet the man was punishing him for whatever he had done.

"Yes, I am weak." Jungkook hissed. 

Taehyung raised his brow. 

"But don't think that I didn't suffer in his hands as well." Jungkook shook his head. "That psychopath loves to humiliate people and he did it often to me. Just because you can't see the marks, doesn't mean it was ok to endure." 

Taehyung stared at him with a complicated look. 

"So no, I don't pity her." Jungkook stood up. "I just know how it feels to be humiliated by him." 

"It's not the same." Taehyung sighed and sat back down. 

"What do you mean?" Jungkook crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Seulgi was different." Taehyung was staring into nothing in particular, like he wasn't really there. "She was nice." 

Jungkook stared at the other man with confusion. 

"I met her when she began working at one of the clubs." Taehyung rubbed his palms together. "She was just a kid, but there she was. Fucking all those disguting men." 

Jungkook remained silent. 

"When people heard there was a beautiful young girl at one of the clubs, they began to come in groups and Old Min liked the money she earned him. So he made her his special little doll." 

"That-"

"Is fucked up." Taehyung had a sad smile. "Yes." 

"What did he do to her?" 

"He dressed her in pretty dresses and jewels. Put her in the best club. Made the clients pay a lot of money for her." Taehyung had disgust on his face. "He made her the prettiest little doll in Daegu." 

Jungkook sat back down. 

"She would fuck people the whole day." He hissed. "She wouldn't even eat sometimes. All they cared about was how much money she was giving them. Fuck the doll, pay the money and leave. That was all they cared about." 

"Fuck." Jungkook cursed under his breath. 

"One day..." Taehyung faltered. "One day Old Min had foreign guests at the house. He brought her there. He told them they could play with her. They almost fucking killed her."

"When I got into that room, she was just lying there." Taehyung continued. "Blood everywhere." 

He sighed loudly. 

"They took turns raping her. Everytime they came they marked her with a slash on her skin. They beat her up so bad, her ribs were broken and her arm was dislocated. Can you imagine what she looked like when those 10 men were done?" 

"Ten..." Jungkook mumbled. 

"She was just lying there." He inhaled deeply. "She was never the same after that. People could not come near her and her skin was ruined. Who would want a bruised whore that did not let people touch her? So Old Min got rid of her."

"Like that?" 

"He threw her out in the middle of winter." He laughed. "Just like my parents." 

"You helped her?" 

"If you can call that helping." He clicked his tongue. "I owed her that much." 

"Why would you owe her?" 

"Because I was in charge of her." He grinned. "I heard her scream, but did nothing. I only helped her after they left."

"Taehyung..." Jungkook tried to appease. 

"She has endured far worse than being cut." Taehyung stared at Jungkook. 

Jungkook knew that. He knew Seulgi was strong like that, but he could see the guilt on Taehyung's face. Seokjin did that because of him. Because she took his side. It was not like that man had not done worse things to Seokjin's people, but somehow Jungkook sympathized with him, with his pain. Maybe because he felt guilty as well. He could have killed him that night, but he was just too weak to do it. Too scared. He planned the whole thing and in the end he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Jungkook felt pathetic.

"You care for her." Jungkook managed to say. 

"I would not call this caring." Taehyung shook his head, his face looked disgusted. "I am responsible for those under me." 

"It doesn't suit you."

"What?" Taehyung seemed a bit annoyed. 

"Being maternal." 

The slap was completely uncalled for, but probably Jungkook had hit a soft spot. He would also be angry if someone said that to him. Taehyung had a dark look on his face and he looked angry. Jungkook had certainly hit something. It felt strange to see him react in such a manner. 

"What was that for?" Jungkook was rubbing his hand over his right cheek. 

"Don't you ever repeat that again." Taehyung's tone was dark. 

"You could have just said so." Jungkook stood up and began walking towards the door. "You don't have to be a fucking  _ dick _ about it and slap me." 

"I'm sorry." 

The sentence made him stop in his tracks. He could hear Taehyung walking behind him. His footsteps becoming louder. He was walking towards him and Jungkook was now scared because the man had apologized. It was not something that happened with frequency. Normally, things would get extremely complicated before Taehyung uttered those words. The feeling made Jungkook unsettled. The man was now standing in front of him while he stared with a smirk on his face.  _ Handsome motherfucker. _ Taehyung grabbed Jungkook's chin and turned his head to the left, putting his right cheek in evidence. He stared for a few seconds and then placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Jungkook was so shocked that he backed away immediately. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" He placed his hand on his cheek again. 

"Apologizing." 

"Why the fuck would you kiss me?" Jungkook was seriously shocked. 

"Because you deserved it." Taehyung was smiling. 

"Don't!" Jungkook had a warning tone. 

"Why?" 

"Just don't!" 

"I thought you were going to stay by my side." Taehyung stepped closer. "Don't you want me to be nice to you?" 

"What the fuck are you talking about?" 

"Stay by my side, baby." Taehyung was much closer. "I promise I won't ever hurt you again." 

Jungkook swallowed. 

"Drop the act." He managed to mumble.

"Maybe this time it's not an act." Taehyung was almost brushing his lips against Jungkook's. 

Jungkook backed away again. 

"Stop it, Taehyung!" Jungkook almost screamed. 

"No." 

"What?" 

"Enough of this shit." Taehyung walked forward again. "Don't act like you don't fucking want it!" 

"I've always fucking wanted it!" Jungkook was tired. "Yet you told me to stop. So I did."

Taehyung was silent. 

"And now that I fucking said no, you want it?" Jungkook hissed. "I will stay by your side, but that doesn't mean you get to have me."

"Is that true?" 

Taehyung walked even closer and he was now lightly brushing his lips against Jungkook's. The desire was always there when it came to Taehyung, but this time it was wrong. It would always feel good, but the back of his head was screaming for him to back away. Telling him to leave. But he did not move. He never moved. Jungkook never listened to his own warnings. Taehyung could always do as he pleased. It felt disgusting, but he was now kissing that man back. Their tongues intertwined once more. Every single time it would be intense. Taehyung pulled him closer, holding the hem of his shirt. The warmth felt good. Jungkook's arms were still hanging by his side, he could not touch Taehyung. Even though that was the thing he wanted the most at a moment like this. 

Their kiss ended abruptly, but Taehyung did not let go of Jungkook's shirt. Almost as if he felt the other man was going to run away if he did. It seemed a bit desperate. He was left staring at Taehyung with a complicated look on his face. It was wrong, it truly was. But why couldn't he say no?  _ Stockholm Syndrome. _ It was a dangerous game to play. Crazy even. But he was seduced to play it everytime. Taehyung would work his magic and he would fall head first into that pool of darkness. That psychotic asshole was something else and he knew he had the control. 

"I'm not good at keeping secrets." Taehyung grinned. 

_ Annoying motherfucker. _

"I got this place for you." He placed a small kiss on Jungkook's lips. 

_ What the fuck is going on? _

"For me?" 

"The whole street is mine actually." He finally let go of Jungkook's shirt, as he looked around. "But this place is yours." 

"What is this place?" Jungkook was confused. 

"You liked  _ Ppalgan _ , so I just thought you might like to run your own bar." He pinched Jungkook's chin. "This is a much nicer and expensive neighbourhood. Your clients will be far more interesting." 

"A bar?" 

"You don't like it?" Taehyung pouted slightly. 

Jungkook did not really know what to say to that. He felt as if he was being bought, but he could feel a touch of excitement as well. It was a complicated feeling. Taehyung was staring at him with a glint in his eyes. There was expectancy. He wanted Jungkook to like it, almost like he needed it. 

"I do." Jungkook laughed shyly. "I just never ran a bar before."

"Don't worry." He walked towards the door. "You will have people to help you and you have  _ me _ ." 

He knew Taehyung was smiling. He could feel it. He was pleased with himself. Somehow Jungkook felt bought and he could not back away from it. He couldn't really say no after that, could he? But did he really feel like he wanted to back away? What would be the other option? Choosing Taehyung meant surviving. What else was there? Seokjin truly had control of every other thing in his life. His money, his house, he even owned Jungkook to a certain extent in that damn contract he had signed. So in the end, Taehyung truly was a better option. 

Jungkook shook his head and saw he was alone at the venue. Taehyung had already left. Kook sprinted for the door, only to find Taehyung staring at him while leaning against the car. He had a smile on his face. A fucking  _ adorable _ one. The night had been full of surprises. It would be nice if they were all like this. That man looked so pleased, so at peace. It was such a nice view. See him almost carefree. That was happiness. Taehyung was happy because of Jungkook. He knew it. He could see it. The warmth was good. The feeling was good. Jungkook was happy for a second. It was fucking Stockholm Syndrome, but for a moment he let go. He just wanted to stare at Taehyung. He smiled back. 

"It suits you." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

"What?" 

"This place." Taehyung unlocked the car and opened the door. "You look good in front of it." 

Jungkook could not help but smile. He crossed the street and got inside the car, rubbing his hands together because of the cold. They were both shivering slightly, but Jungkook still felt warm. He still had that good feeling hovering around him. No menacing aura, no dark miasma and no murderous intent. Taehyung just looked happy and Jungkook could not help but like that feeling. It was the first time he felt that way in a long time. The first time he felt that way with Taehyung. It was special to an extent. He looked at Taehyung for a second. It really felt nice. He could get used to it if all days could be like that. But it was just a moment. It was not what he would get. He would spend a lifetime trying to have it again and maybe, just maybe, he would get another moment like this. 

Taehyung gave him a small smile as he started the car and drove off into the night. It was almost near sunrise, so they might as well rest a bit. Jungkook leaned against the door and rested his head against the cold glass. He was tired. This time around, the silence was not awkward, it actually felt good. The suffocating feeling from before had dissipated and Jungkook felt like he could breathe properly again. Taehyung was focused on the road. They drove around that neighbourhood for a while before they got into a main road. Jungkook observed the whole time. It really seemed like a nice place. Maybe running that bar was not an entirely bad idea. Taehyung did say he would help. 

"Why did you do that?" Jungkook broke the silence with his curiosity. 

"Did what?" Taehyung was still staring ahead. 

"Buy that place." 

"I had to buy the entire street." Taehyung smiled. "That place was part of the deal." 

"Oh." Jungkook was a bit disappointed. 

"When I saw it." He spoke again. "I thought of you." 

Jungkook stared at the other man. 

"You should have something of yours." He smiled. "Something to be responsible for. It will be good for you. You can learn a lot from running a place like that." 

"And you will help me?" Jungkook had a faint smile on his lips. 

"You chose me." Taehyung grinned. "And I'm responsible for the people who choose to stay by my side. That means helping your business do well." 

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I know you only chose me because if you didn't, you would die." Taehyung laughed. "You chose me to survive." 

He was right, but Jungkook did not want him to know that. He remained silent. 

"Don't worry, it doesn't bother me." Taehyung turned at Jungkook. "But if you want to stay by my side, the least I can do is make it a nice place to be." 

"So that I stay loyal to you."

"Loyalty is not something you can buy." He scoffed. "You have to feel loyal to someone and I am positive you don't feel that way towards me." 

"I don't." Jungkook leaned his head against the glass again. "Maybe one day." 

Taehyung stopped at the red light and turned entirely to Jungkook. He had a complicated expression. 

"If you want to be loyal, be." He pinched Jungkook's chin and turned his face to him. "If not, you are free to leave. The  _ only  _ thing you cannot do is betray me." 

Jungkook only stared. 

"If you do," Taehyung let go of his chin and focused back on the road. Driving off when the light turned green. "I  _ will _ kill you." 

Jungkook nodded. But this was not something he felt he could do. He was not smart enough to betray someone like Taehyung without him finding out. It was not something Jungkook could simply do, not right now. But if he learned how to and was able to do so, it was not impossible to happen. It was as he had said to Seokjin that night at the bar. If he had the chance to betray him, he would. If he had the chance to kill him, he would. There was no loyalty. Not anymore. He had been loyal to Seokjin and Jimin for most of his life, only to find out he had been fooled into doing so. So loyalty was no longer something he had, something he wanted to give out. He was loyal to himself. 

The car roared through the streets and Jungkook found it funny to have Taehyung drive his car. He was a good driver, but it still felt strange. They turned a few times and Taehyung was now driving in this small street inside one of the neighbourhoods. It was a nice little street with buildings on both sides. Jungkook had no idea where they were but this looked just like Angel Town. It felt a bit dangerous, seeing as Hoseok and Seokjin were staying at Junmyeon's old place. Their influence would be much bigger in that region, but maybe Taehyung was not worried by that. Maybe everyone was on his payroll. Just like Baekhyun and Chanyeol. He would never have guessed that he would be able to own those two, yet he did. 

The horizon was still dark, but it would soon get brighter.  _ So fucking tired _ . Jungkook pulled out his phone from his pocket and stared at the screen for a few seconds. It was truly late. He yawned just imagining a bed. It occurred to him that he did not really have a place to sleep nor did he know where Taehyung was taking him. He wasn't that familiar with the city to know exactly where they were. Jungkook took his eyes from his phone and stared out the window trying to see if he could recognize the place. It all felt similar to other parts of Angel Town, so there was no way of knowing. Taehyung drove through the small streets and into a small intersection. 

The world was suddenly spinning. The car was midair and all Jungkook could see were the shards of glass around him, cutting into his skin. He did not know how many times the car spun but he was dizzy. His ears were ringing and there was blood everywhere. He had hit his head hard so he was almost passing out. He could see everything turning slightly dark. He looked to the side and after much effort, Taehyung came into his line of sight. He was bleeding everywhere. His eyes were covered in blood from what looked like a cut on his eyebrow. There was  _ so _ much blood on him. He had his eyes closed, but Jungkook could see his chest going up and down. 

"Ta-Tae" He tried calling the other man. 

He suddenly fell backwards. The door had been pried open and a man leaned in closer to open his seatbelt. He was unbuckled and fell into someone's arms.  _ Taehyung _ . He was dragged out of the car, still trying to touch Taehyung. He tried lifting his hand and calling him, but it was all in vain. His body was no longer functioning properly. This was bringing back some really bad memories.  _ Taehyung _ . The day Jimin and Namjoon kidnapped him. He also felt powerless and drowsy. Jungkook was being pulled back into the street. The cold air was cutting into his skin and the cold asphalt was making it even worse. He shivered. 

There were voices and screams around him, but he could not understand what was happening. Nothing was clear anymore.  _ Taehyung _ . There was the smell of blood mixed with gasoline in the air. He could see small white specs falling everywhere. Jungkook forced his eyes open again and he could see the small snowflakes falling. It did not last long. He was thrown inside another car. His head hit the back seat and his eyes got heavy.  _ Taehyung _ . He tried calling Taehyung one more time, but there was no sound coming from his mouth. 

He was tired. 

_ So fucking tired. _

Everything was slowly getting darker. 

_ Taehyung. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I got soft.


	39. BLOOD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a few warnings about this chapter. It is not a nice one. 
> 
> There is a rape scene involving a minor, so I will warn you all here and now to be careful with that. If you have any sort of triggers reading this kind of content, please skip it.   
> It starts at: "Why don't you sit beside me?" The ahjussi called.  
> And ends at: No one will ever touch me again.
> 
> And as the title suggests, there is a LOT of graphic content.

"It's okay." Taehyung said softly.

"It's not." Seulgi had a small voice. "It's ugly." 

_ Sad. _

"It's just a scar." Taehyung rolled his eyes. 

"Fuck you." 

"Thought you were a nice girl." He grinned. 

"I got shot." She snarled. "Stop annoying me." 

Seulgi's back was full of little scars. They had been having them removed one by one with those expensive laser treatments she had asked for, but Taehyung could still see them. Especially because he knew the story behind every single one of them. She had just spent two days completely out after that dickhead shot her in the back. The cunt did not even have the courage to look her in the eye before shooting her.  _ Weak motherfucker. _ But they were now sitting on his bed. He had the decency to let her stay there. He sent his people to cover up the whole ordeal in order to make sure  _ Yowang _ knew nothing about what had happened. 

He thought back on that man. Seulgi did not know what Taehyung had done to him. How he had made him dangle from the ceiling. He had hanged him with his own intestines. It was a disgusting sight, but he was angry. It was an impulse. She never knew what Taehyung did to the people he captured. Part of him was scared she would leave him if she knew. But maybe she would think it was okay, it was nice. He had done that for her, that was what mattered in the end. She would understand. Wouldn't she?

"You've been out for two fucking days." Taehyung hissed. "It's time you got back to work."

"I already have a lot of fucking work to do for Yowang." She continued touching the wound. "Don't think you are the only person in my life." 

Taehyung smiled. He knew those two had become more intimate than he had anticipated. It was fun to watch. Seulgi would never admit it, but she liked Joo Hyun far too much. That was problematic, but he could never say no to Seulgi. She did as she pleased and Taehyung had to step on his own pride to make her happy. He had to be sure she would always be by his side. She would always be faithful to him, he was sure. She was meant to stay by his side no matter what. It did not matter who he would kill or threaten, Seulgi was his. She knew that as well. 

"You only  _ work _ for her." Taehyung said at the end. "You are still  _ mine _ ."

"Possessive cunt." She hissed. 

"I love it when you call me that." Taehyung laughed. 

"Thought you didn't like this." She slid her hands through her body making sure she touched every curve on her bare skin with a smile on her lips. 

"Disgusting." Taehyung said as he stared at the half naked woman.

Seulgi lied back on the bed and sighed loudly.  _ Fuck. _ She was in pain.

"I will always be here." She did not dare to look at him. "Don't worry." 

"Why?" 

"Because it's  _ you _ ." She had that sad smile Taehyung was far too familiar with. "You are family to me." 

_ Fuck family.  _

"Family means nothing." He laughed. "Brothers kill each other in our world." 

"True." She chuckled.

_ Love that shit. _

"Fuck family." Taehyung pinched Seulgi's leg over the covers. "We are more than that." 

_ You're everything I have. _

The ringing in his ears was loud.  _ So _ fucking loud. Taehyung was being shaken by someone. He could feel the pressure of the hands on his skin. His eyes felt  _ so _ fucking heavy. Everything hurt.  _ TAEHYUNG.  _ There was far too much noise. Too much of everything. He just wanted to sleep. To stay like that for a long time. It fucking hurt.  _ TAEHYUNG.  _ Why did the screaming continue? He just wanted to be quiet and alone. Run away from all the pain he was feeling. He forced one eye open. It was painful. 

"KIM TAEHYUNG!" The voice screamed at him. 

He could only make weird noises, his throat was burning.  _ Stop screaming. _ He tried opening his eyes wider, but everything was red. There was only red everywhere.  _ Fuck. _ It was cold as well. The wind bit into the skin, making it even more painful. 

"WAKE THE FUCK UP, YOU ANNOYING CUNT!" The person screamed again. 

"Stop." He coughed. "Fucking." The metallic taste made him sure he was coughing blood. " _ Screaming _ ." 

Taehyung finally managed to open his eyes after much difficulty. Seulgi was there. She was the one screaming. Why was she there? The last thing he remembered was turning into the intersection.  _ Jungkook. _ He tried turning his head, but it hurt too much. He straightened himself and looked at Seulgi. The car was smashed. There was glass everywhere. They had been in an accident. He was sure of it.  _ Jungkook. _ It hurt. It all hurt. His head was ringing as he tried to focus on her face. He could only see red. Why the fuck could he only see red? Blood? He tried straightening himself again, ignoring the splitting pain on his left side. He groaned loudly. 

"Jungkook..." He wheezed. 

"They took him." She was rubbing his face with something. "Seokjin took him."

Taehyung growled. 

_ I WILL GUT THIS MOTHERFUCKER LIKE A PIG. _

"Taehyung." She was scared, he could feel it. "You're bleeding." 

"Take me..." He coughed out a pool of blood. 

"Fuck." Seulgi growled. 

Taehyung was so tired. So fucking tired. Keeping his eyes open was a very difficult task. The pain was everywhere and he knew a lot of things had been either broken or were out of place.  _ I WILL KILL THAT MOTHERFUCKER. _ Seulgi was taking him out of the car and he had to hold back, because he was going to curse her with all the strength he had left in his body. It hurt too much. His left side was definitely severely damaged. He could feel the blood pouring out from his abdomen. It was bad.  _ Very _ bad. It had been a while since he had been so badly injured, it felt unusual.  _ I WILL SKIN HIM ALIVE. _

Seulgi was kneeling beside Taehyung on the cold asphalt. The look on her face was bad. He knew he was in bad shape and she also knew that. She was scared.  _ Fuck. _ He tried to stand up, but all he could manage was a loud groan. There was no way he would be able to get up on his own. Seulgi cursed under her breath for the nth time since he had managed to focus back on reality and he was laughing inside. He  _ truly _ was. But it was impossible for him to show her that. He could only show pain. It hurt like hell.  _ Maybe death was coming. _

As she moved him, Taehyung fell in and out of consciousness. He would see Jungkook's face every time he closed his eyes. The face he had when he stood in front of that building. He looked so pretty. So happy. Taehyung wanted to smile, but he couldn't. All he could do at the moment was suffer.  _ Jungkook. _ Seulgi shook him awake from time to time, as she growled his name. It was bad. Taehyung was not scared, but he could actually die this time. And that motherfucker could actually take what was his. The whole empire he had built. Everyone he had killed. He could see all those faces. He remembered them well. 

_ Please don't kill me. _

_ Please don't hurt me.  _

_ I will tell you everything, but don't kill me. _

_ I have a family.  _

That shit was annoying. He never regretted before, why was he regretting now? Taehyung liked the look on their faces. The way they begged him, even though there was no way they would survive. The way their faces contorted with the pain. That was his thing,  _ pain. _ People needed to feel it on a deeper level. He had felt it. He knew how pain worked. He wanted them to feel the same way. Darkness suddenly enveloped him. The cold air bit against his skin.  _ Fuck not this.  _ This was the only thing that made Taehyung scared. That one nightmare he often endured.  _ Please, not this one. _ It was there. The smell. The wind. The dark sky. He was there. He was fucking trapped again. 

"Why don't you sit beside me?" The  _ ahjussi _ called. 

He was scared. He always was. Yoongi's father was not a nice person, even though he looked and talked in a very calm manner. He had killed people. Seen life leave their eyes, but Taehyung was scared. He truly was. It was the middle of the night and he was standing on the porch with the cold wind biting into his skin. He had heard a noise and woke up a bit startled. It sounded like screaming. He  _ hated _ when people screamed. When he finally got downstairs, he thought he saw someone outside. The place was poorly lit, but he could see a dark silhouette standing on the porch. He grabbed a blanket from the couch and headed outside. The ahjussi was there. Alone. 

"I heard someone scream." Taehyung puffed out a big cloud with his hot breath. 

"Oh." The old man laughed. "He woke you up." 

The air was cold. But there was something else. Alcohol. Taehyung hated that scent. It was never a good thing. Whenever Old Min would drink, he got different. Evil. He had hit him a few times. Once he had thrown a bottle at him. Taehyung had to have his eyebrow stitched. It hurt a lot. He cried for a week after that. Always silently. He would put the pillow over his face and cry his eyes out. Cry until he passed out. He hated when the old man drank. He became a nasty person. Taehyung stepped back. 

"Come here, child." The old man waved his hand. 

_ No. _

"Come." The tone was grave. "Now." 

_ Please let me go. _

The old man walked forward. Taehyung was frozen in place. He was just a small kid. Even Yoongi was bigger than him. This man was certainly much bigger and stronger than him. He could not escape him. Not right now. He had to say the right things. Do the right thing. He stood still. The smell of alcohol was even stronger and he could see the empty bottles by the door. He had drunk a lot. His walking was wobbly and he looked as if he would fall any moment, but he was still walking towards Taehyung. And he was still frozen in place. 

"You are a very nice young man." He grinned. 

Taehyung swallowed back a scream. 

"I like that look on your face." He licked his lips. 

"Sir..." Taehyung was truly scared. 

His small body was pressed against the cold glass of the door. Every thrust made him swallow back a sob. It hurt  _ so _ much. His body felt numb. He had tried to fight it, but he was small. He was weak.  _ So _ weak. The man's hand would touch him everywhere. All over his scrawny body. Making him feel strange, disgusting. His tongue licked him on the lips. Taehyung tried to turn away, but he forced him to turn with his hands. That man was strong and he could not fight him. 

"Do you like when I touch you like this?" He thrusted deeper. 

_ Please stop.  _

Taehyung swallowed back another sob.  _ Please stop. _ He bit hard against his bottom lips, blood seeping into his mouth. He wanted to scream so bad.  _ Please stop. _ Let someone know. Maybe someone would help him if he did. Maybe that person would be killed. He did not want anyone to die because of him.  _ Please stop. _ Every single time he was pushed harder against the glass, he felt something inside him break. He felt like dying. It was easier to let go. Maybe if he died, this wouldn't happen again. He felt his skin burn whenever those hands touched him, pulled him closer. He could feel the burning sensation. His head was exploding. The burning pain, the pain in his body, the cold. It was too much. 

"Won't you scream?" The man breathed in his ear. 

_ No. _

The man thrusted harder into him. It hurt. The violence was too much. Taehyung almost felt like the glass would break from the strength. He felt as if he was going to be split in half. It hurt so bad. His skin burned. His head was ringing. He could not scream. He could never scream. It was what he wanted. He would win if he did so. But it hurt so much, so bad. His body ached. His skin felt as if it was melting from the bones. The pain was splitting. _ Stop. _

"PLEASE." He begged with a scream at last. 

Laughter broke the silence. The man growled a couple of times, thrusting deep into Taehyung and then he suddenly stopped, shuddering all over. Everything stopped. Time went still and Taehyung was left panting against the wall. The man's hands were gone and he did not feel it burn anymore. He could feel the warm liquid sliding down his thigh. He felt disgusting. He felt dirty. He felt low. He was no different from those women from the clubs the Min family owned. They took everything from them and let them lie on the ground like they were nothing. He was nothing. He was lying on the ground panting, biting his lower lip to avoid sobbing. Taehyung swallowed a new wave of sobs. He heard the laughter again. 

"Such a good child." The man grinned as he zipped up his pants and made his way inside the house. 

Taehyung pulled his clothes up and picked up the blanket that had been thrown on the ground. He covered himself up, trying to appease the shivers. He was warm but he couldn't stop shaking. His skin crawled and burned. It hurt. Everywhere hurt. His throat was burning and he could taste the blood. Taehyung finally sobbed. The tears streamed down and he let himself feel. For one last time he felt it. It was never the same again. It was not the last time either. He cried himself to sleep for a long time. So many years after that. He killed so many people to try to forget. He hurt so many others for a mere touch.

_ No one will ever touch me again. _

"Taehyung?" A soft voice called him. 

He hummed. Fuck it  _ hurt. _ Was he alive? Was he dead? His eyes were so heavy, but he felt something. Maybe feeling the pain was an indication he was still alive in that shitty world. Fuck it hurt so bad. His left side burned like hell and he couldn't breathe properly. His ribs were definitely broken. What else was fucked up? Taehyung tried opening his eyes again. The bright light was almost blinding, so he had to blink a few more times before he could focus on anything. The light was still bright, but he could faintly see two silhouettes hovering above him. He groaned with the pain. 

"You're alive." Seulgi sighed. 

"Is that a bad thing?" Taehyung ignored the pain when he talked. 

"Do you really want me to answer?" She grinned. 

_ Thank you. _

He tried sitting up, but two hands pushed him back down. The blind vet was there. Fuck how was he alive? That man was fucking blind. He felt a slight pinch on his arm and he could see the IV drip attached to it. It was a blood bag and some other transparent bag dripping slowly into him. It hurt like hell. Taehyung was pissed on a dangerous level. Someone was going to die. No, a  _ lot _ of people would die. He would make them experience a whole new level of pain. Make sure they suffered. Taehyung was mad. Probably because of the pain. But it was truly dangerous this time. He wanted to slash their throats and watch them choke on their own blood.  _ FUCK. _

"I need painkillers." He pushed against the pain once more and sat on the bed, no one stopped him this time. 

"You have a bunch in your system, you idiot." The old man coughed out. 

"I will seriously pull out your lungs with my bare hands if you talk to me like that again." Taehyung hissed. 

"You have a shit ton of morphine in you, Taehyung." Seulgi intervened. "You should rest."

"If you try to stop me." Taehyung had to breathe. "I will kill you as well." 

"Good luck with that." She warned. 

"Where is he?" He inhaled deeply. 

"There is no trace of him or Seokjin." She closed her eyes and cracked her neck. Taehyung could see the exhaustion on her face. "They vanished." 

"That motherfucker is still in the city." Taehyung growled. "He could have killed me." 

"He almost did, you arrogant fuck." The old man said in a hoarse voice. 

"He didn't, you old cunt." Taehyung hissed. "Because he wants me to find him." 

"Maybe the pretty boy isn't a bad choice after all." The old man coughed or laughed, Taehyung could not tell the difference. 

"Stop." Seulgi sighed. "Fucking stop."

"Excuse me?" Taehyung coughed out as well. 

"Let him kill that kid." She raised her brow. "You have to fucking rest! You can kill him when you’re healed." 

Taehyung wanted to choke her. He wanted to snap her neck and he could. It would be so fucking easy to do so. He was mad, so mad he could feel the anger bubbling inside of him. He was on the verge of exploding. The medication and that blood bag were the only things stopping him. He could kill. He would kill. Fuck the pain. Fuck everything else. No one would ever touch what was his. They would all die before they did that. He killed Namjoon and Jimin after they touched Jungkook like that. He killed every single person that touched Seulgi. He killed, that's what he did. That is what he would do. He turned to the old cunt and stared at him with blood in his eyes. He understood and thank god he did, otherwise he would blow his head to get rid of him. The blind man coughed a few more times and then left the room. Taehyung was now alone with Seulgi. 

"Should I have let those people fuck you to death?" Taehyung knew that was evil to say. 

"Watch it, Kim Taehyung." 

"Should I?" He asked again. "Should I have left you to die?" 

He could see the anger on her face.

"I went into that room and saved you." Taehyung's throat burned. "I fucking cleaned you and put clothes on you. I took you away. I let you live!"

"Do you want a round of applause?" 

"I FUCKING DO!" Every single fiber in his body hurt as he screamed. "I KEPT SAVING YOUR ASS FOR YEARS, YOU UNGRATEFUL WHORE!" 

"Don't go down that road." She warned him, but he could see the shock on her face. "I will kill you if you do." 

Taehyung didn't scream. Ever. Screaming was annoying and pathetic, yet there he was. He was screaming at her. At Seulgi. The one person who had stood by his side in spite of everything. He needed her to know he was not going to let Kim Seokjin win. Not now, nor ever. And that included protecting her and Jungkook. Protecting everything he killed for. His empire was  _ his _ . That city was his. South Korea was Taehyung's. He would not lose. Not now. Not ever. 

"Then kill me, Seulgi!" He growled loudly. "Fucking kill me! I'm almost there, so fucking help me already." 

"Stop." 

"What?" He leaned forward. "Are you scared? Are you scared of losing me? Of letting me die?" 

"Yes." She sighed.

_ Me too. _

"Good!" 

"You care too much." Taehyung could see the disappointment on her face. 

"I will not fucking lose." Taehyung swallowed back something bitter from his stomach. "That motherfucker will not take  _ anything _ from me." 

Seulgi sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Taehyung knew she was pissed, but he knew she understood him. Understood why he would say and do those things. She was not stupid, he made sure of it. She was as smart as one could be. She was perfect in many ways. Taehyung truly adored Seulgi. She would never know this, but this was the truth. It was his weird and twisted form of caring. He would not lose her. Never. She was  _ his. _ And now Jungkook was as well. The both of them were under his care and he would make sure they did not leave. They would owe him. Just like he made Chanyeol his through Baekhyun. His little fucked up group. They were all his now. Kim Seokjin would never have them. Not dead nor alive. 

"Fine." She said at last. "Where the fuck are they?" 

"Did they leave Angel Town?" 

"I have no fucking clue." She hissed. "They fucking vanished. No one knows where they are. Not even Hoseok's people." 

Taehyung hummed. 

"You know." She leaned closer. "You fucking know, don't you?" 

_ I fucking do and I'm happy he chose that fucking place. _

"Yes." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "That cunt is as predictable as one can be. So fucking annoying." 

"Where?" 

"You know where." 

_ Motherfucker. _

"No." Her eyes were dark. "No way." 

"Don't."

"I said no, Taehyung." That was the strongest warning she ever gave. 

_ I'm so fucking sorry. _

"And who the fuck do you think you are to say no to me?" He almost grinned. 

"I'll go." She sighed. "You stay." 

_ Thank you. _

"He's  _ mine _ ." Taehyung's tone was back to its usual darkness. "You and Chanyeol take care of the rest." 

"I work alone." 

_ Please don't go alone. _

"You work for  _ me _ and I'm telling you to take him." Taehyung knew his face was scary at this point. "You two take care of the rest. Seokjin is  _ mine _ ." 

She just bowed. There was nothing else she could do and she knew it. He said it like that because Seulgi would obey. He hated that fucking place so bad. Taehyung was not even sure he could get inside without sweating.  _ So appropriate. _ He knew it from the start, but he chose to ignore. He saw the pictures. Seokjin went to that place often. He stayed there for such a long time. Did Hoseok know about his little hobby? The way he took people to that place to have fun in the middle of the night? Hoseok would not forgive him, would he? Jung Hoseok had been in love with Kim Seokjin ever since they were kids. How Seokjin had abused him all those years, was almost unbearable to watch. Made that man do whatever he told him to, just because he was blind from his one-sided love. 

Poor fuck. Taehyung actually pitied the man. Hoseok was no joke. He was a very mean and intelligent man, only an idiot would not fear the man who provided the guns for every single Family in South Korea. He was evil when he wanted to- Seokjin was responsible for that. But the poor fuck only did things to have his attention. No one knew and would never know. Hoseok had killed all the moles who tried to expose him. But Taehyung knew it. He had seen it. It was sad. So fucking sad. 

Taehyung ignored the splitting pain all over his body and put his feet down. He groaned lightly. Seulgi sighed. She knew he was in bad shape, but this was not going to stop him. She knew it very well. He groaned again as he ripped the IV from his arm. Blood spilled on the floor and Taehyung stared for a second. He wanted blood. He needed it. He cracked his neck, swallowing the strong will to growl as he did so. It hurt so fucking much. Taehyung tried to stabilize himself as he stood up from the bed. It was extremely hard to stand. It hurt and his head was spinning lightly. 

"Where's my phone?" Taehyung said as he extended his hand at Seulgi. 

Seulgi handed him the phone and he quickly turned it on. It took him a few seconds to find Baekhyun's number, but he already had his phone in his ear as he heard the ringing noise. 

_ "Seoul said you were dead." _ Baekhyun's laugh was the most annoying thing in the world.

_ "Don't think he will stop thinking about my cock just because I'm dead." _ Taehyung laughed.  _ "I'm quite unforgettable." _

_ "Your dick is not that big, honey."  _ Baekhyun laughed loudly. _ "And he can touch me all he wants." _

_ "You don't even have to kneel to suck his cock, do you?"  _

_ "You are the one who needs him." _

_ "Always so smart." _ Taehyung fought against the urge to cough. Probably blood.  _ "I need the both of you." _

_ "Is that so?" _ Baekhyun could be the most annoying cunt in the world when he wanted to.  _ "And what do you need?" _

_ "Seokjin has Jungkook."  _

_ "I know."  _

_ "You useless cunt." _

_ "I said this before,"  _ Baekhyun paused dramatically, being the fucking diva that he was. _ "Everything has a price." _

_ "I will cut your tongue off someday."  _ Taehyung was still smiling. _ "Think of it as me being merciful."  _

_ "The price is higher this time." _

_ "Don't get greedy.” _

_ "I can do whatever I want."  _ He could hear the giggles. _ "You will never have someone as good as me."  _

_ "Tell him to be at the address I'm going to send you."  _ Taehyung hissed. _ "And you can do your fucking job."  _

_ "I will, honey. No need to get all worked up."  _ Baekhyun sighed. _ "He will be there and I will be at your place later."  _

_ "Keep your clothes on this time."  _

_ "As I said."  _ Baekhyun scoffed. _ "Your dick is not that big."  _

The call was disconnected and all Taehyung could think of was putting a bullet in Baekhyun's head. Disrespectful cunt. He was a good fuck, but a very annoying human being. Such a slut in bed. It was funny to imagine him with Chanyeol. The prude. Taehyung laughed and Seulgi tilted her head, probably thinking he had gone mad. Andhe had. He had gone completely mad. Nothing else mattered, just making sure Kim Seokjin suffered a very painful ending. 

Seulgi supported Taehyung. He did not even know he was falling over, but he was thankful she grabbed him. It would be extremely painful and he was not in the mood to feel any more pain. She was looking at him with a very complex expression. Taehyung knew she was mad, but she was also worried. She knew what that place was and why she felt the need to protect him. He was thankful, he truly was. But she would never know. No one ever knew those things about him. It was pathetic and weak. People would certainly use that against him. Feelings like that were liabilities. 

\-- 

"Are you just going to barge in and kill him?" Seulgi was angry and Taehyung was scared for his life. Her driving skills were seriously bad. 

"Do you have something against it?" 

"Are you seriously going to act like a stupid child right now?" Seulgi was definitely pissed. 

"Where did respect go?" Taehyung clicked his tongue. "Will I have to teach you some manners?"

"Respect is something you have to earn." She hissed. 

_ Fuck you. _

"Have I lost yours?" Taehyung arched a brow. 

Seulgi said nothing as she stared at the road ahead, somehow managing to not kill a single person while she drove. 

"Good." Taehyung tried to not cough any more blood and ignored the absurd pain in his ribs. "You will do as you are told and go with Chanyeol to take care of everyone else." 

"And you,  _ sir _ ?" Her sarcasm was truly funny. 

"He is going to be alone." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "He wants me to watch." 

"Watch?" 

"He is going to do to Jungkook what he did to me and he wants me to watch." 

"Tae-" Seulgi was stopped mid sentence by Taehyung's murderous gaze. 

They said nothing else until they arrived at that god forsaken place. Taehyung hated that place. It was incredible to think it had been years since he had set foot in that place, yet the memory made him shiver. Pain like that is something hard to achieve. He knew fully well. But there it was. The building of his nightmares. The place in which he had almost died and would possibly die now. But he would take Seokjin with him, no matter the consequences. He sighed again, trying to ignore the pain. He looked around the front of the building and managed to see the silver car. Chanyeol's car. The fucker was there. Taehyung grinned. 

"He's here." He pointed at the other car. 

Seulgi growled at the sight. It was funny. He took off his seatbelt and groaned as he stepped out of the car. Fuck, it hurt. He was not as dizzy but everything fucking hurt. Seulgi stared at him. She was angry. Taehyung grinned at her, trying to be reassuring. It was not effective. A pissed Seulgi was hard to appease. _ Annoying as fuck. _

"Why am I here?" Chanyeol scoffed from behind him. 

"To work, baby." Taehyung grinned. "Remember our last date?" 

"I don't work for you." Chanyeol hissed. 

"But your boyfriend does." Taehyung looked at Seulgi, she had that disgusted look on her face. "And you two _ owe _ me." 

"I don't owe you shit." 

"Oh, but you do." Taehyung licked his lips. "Now you two will go in and get rid of those useless fucks for me." 

"And if I say no?" Chanyeol grinned. 

Taehyung would probably hear a lot later. Chanyeol would not be wrong. But Seulgi was an evil bitch when she wanted to. She had grabbed her gun and took a shot. The bullet stopped an inch from Chanyeol's foot. It was just a mere warning. But it was funny to watch. He was pissed, Taehyung could see it. But they would end up shooting each other if this went on for longer, even though it was fun. He just sighed and began walking towards the building. Seulgi was fast to catch up. She placed her hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.

" _ Sir _ ." Her sarcasm was clear as day. 

"Go do your job." 

And she did. Seulgi walked with a very pissed Chanyeol inside the building. Taehyung took the time to fucking breathe for the first time since they had arrived. Pain and painful memories all over his body. His back hurt like hell. The skin burning alongside his scars. The motherfucker chose this on purpose. He wanted to make Taehyung suffer, but he was the one who would suffer and die. He was going to make sure of it. The style was not yet decided, he would just go with the flow. Maybe blow his head off or even smash it? No, too simple. Slash his throat? Dismemberment? 

The sound of gunshots brought him back to reality. Taehyung smiled. He took a deep breath and stepped into the building. He knew exactly where he had to go. Up the stairs. Walk down the hallway. Turn right. Turn right again and through those double doors. Yes, he remembered everything. Every single fucking detail of that day and that place. He counted how many blood drops fell to the floor. The number of tiles on the wall. He even prayed. Fuck, he prayed hard. He begged death to take him. Anyone. He just wanted to die. He stopped in the middle of the stairs. Taehyung was breathless.  _ Fuck. _

"PLEASE, DON'T!" Someone screamed and then a gunshot sounded inside the building. 

Taehyung inhaled deeply and continued going up the stairs. There was a faint smile on his face again. The minions would always act tough, look unbothered. But the truth was that no one wanted to die. Nobody wanted to lose their life for another person's agenda. Movies often depicted those people as the ones who would fight until the end for their bosses. Taehyung had heard more than once that they would switch sides if he spared their lives. He had heard so much begging and crying. They were only tough until a gun was pointed to their heads. Sad fucks. 

He reached the end of the hallway and turned right and then right again. The double doors were in front of him. His heart raced. It all hurt. Breathing was hard and his skin crawled. This place was a fucking nightmare. It smelled moldy and metallic. All the blood Seokjin and Jackson had spilled in that place was embedded into the stone and tiles. The whole place smelled like death. Fucking sweet. So inebriating.  _ Fuck. _ Taehyung shook his head and ignored the pain when he did so. 

He pushed those fucking heavy doors open and there was the motherfucker.  _ FUCK. _ Seokjin was fucking smiling. That cunt was smiling. Taehyung wanted to pull every single teeth out of that mouth with a fucking hammer. Just like he had done with Minho. He was just sitting there with his white gloves on, looking like a fucking monument while Jungkook was dangling from the ceiling. Just like an angel. Taehyung wanted to throw up. He truly did. He was happy he seemed unconscious. Jungkook could not handle that pain. That was a given. His bloody back was facing him. Pools of blood forming on the floor below while the blood dripped from the cuts on his back. Taehyung suddenly couldn't breathe properly. He remembered everything. And it hurt. It  _ fucking _ hurt. 

"You're finally here." Seokjin had that calming tone of his and it was fucking annoying. 

"I thought you would be a little more original." Taehyung grinned but he actually wanted to throw up. Blood or the contents of his stomach. It did not matter. 

"Don't try to be condescending." Seokjin stared at Jungkook. "What you call art is nothing more than a pathetic little display of how disgusting you are."

"Now who's being condescending?" Taehyung scoffed.

"I thought you did not like him." Seokjin grinned. 

"I'm a child." Taehyung laughed. "I hate when people take my toys without asking." 

"So you are here to save him?" Seokjin arched an eyebrow. 

"Such obedience is hard to find nowadays." 

Jungkook groaned in his unconscious state and Taehyung knew he was not going to last long. Not like that. He felt his upper lip twitch and Seokjin certainly saw it. The psychotic fuck was very aware of even the smallest detail. This was bad and he knew it. No more playing his games. Taehyung was going to destroy that miserable motherfucker with all he had. 

"Should I let him bleed out or should I continue?" 

"You can try." Taehyung grinned. "But then you would be dead the next second." 

"Are you threatening me?" 

The room smelled sweet.  _ Fuck. _

"Shouldn't I?" Taehyung managed to walk forward. 

Seokjin clicked his tongue and reached inside his pocket. The fucking remote control. That thing would stretch the wounds on people's back and make them bleed out faster. That fucker was truly annoying. 

"Well, I was going to be reasonable." Taehyung put his hands behind his back. "But you really don't want me to be." 

"Is that so?" 

"Of course." Taehyung laughed. "We both know how to inflict pain. We like it, don't we?" 

Seokjin hummed. 

"What can truly be painful for Kim Seokjin?" Taehyung was walking calmly towards Seokjin. "Those disgusting tattoos on your body? No, too simple. Maybe talk about your daddy issues? Too pathetic. Wait. Maybe mommy? This would be interesting. But I believe that failure hurts a lot, too. Do you enjoy knowing you failed so pathetically?" 

Seokjin laughed. 

"Taehyung," He stood up and walked forward. "Do you really think that can affect me?" 

"There's something new to that." 

"Pathetic indeed." Seokjin hissed. "Do you know what is not pathetic?" 

"Indulge me." 

"What Old Min said before he died." 

Taehyung's body stiffened. 

"Oh, have I hit a soft spot?" Seokjin smiled. "What was it like to be raped by your own father, Kim Taehyung?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The softness ended on chapter 38. It might return, or not. Well there are only two more chapters and then that's it. This was a very complicated chapter for me to write and it took longer than I expected. It hurt a bit too. But unfortunately, chapter 40 hurt a LOT more. Like A LOT! I hope you all have enjoyed this far and I hope you will enjoy the last final chapters. 
> 
> As I said before, there were some chapters that were excluded and there's an alternative ending. Let me know in the comments if you guys want to read that. 
> 
> Thank you for giving Blood Lily so much love and affection. Please stay safe <3


	40. THRONE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE)

That was funny. Taehyung had heard many bizarre things about himself in the past years, but this was the first time he had heard that in a long time. Kim Seokjin was seriously a cunt. Taehyung was trying hard not to run and rip his head off his body. He deserved that much. That _fucking_ rumour. That fucking _annoying_ rumor. It was nothing more than that, Taehyung was sure of it. Yet, he let that reach people's tongues. It was not entirely just a rumour. There was truth to it, but not entirely. 

Taehyung had first heard it years ago. The man even licked his lips before saying it. He liked doing that. He liked humiliating Taehyung. He died a horrible death, too. It was true, the old man had abused him time and time again. It hurt. The memories hurt. He had already stopped doing that when Taehyung first heard that rumour, thankfully. But no, that was not entirely true. Taehyung gutted the man who told him the truth. He made sure he was alive to watch the whole thing. In the end, he just drowned him in his own pool of blood. He could still hear the gurgling sound he made before dying. 

No, Old Min was not his father. He ran his DNA, but he would have to admit his real father was no better than that fucked up old cunt. He knew it quite well. It took Taehyung quite a long time to discover who his father was, but one day he heard something strange. Something that did not quite fit. He used his influence and discovered more than he wished for. The truth was just as painful, as disgusting. But he let the rumour continue. Give those hungry dogs something to chew on. He loved the shock in their faces when he told them the truth. They all knew he wasn't lying. But Seokjin was different. He was not some stupid fuck who came across that rumour on a summer day. He searched for it. He wanted it. Taehyung laughed. 

"I'm seriously impressed you have that information." He licked his lips. 

"It was not hard." 

"Yes." Taehyung smiled. "I made it so." 

Seokjin stared at him and Taehyung knew he had won again. 

"Please." He laughed. "My life is not  _ that _ fucked up."

"So you started that rumour." Seokjin licked his lips. "Are you that mentally fucked?" 

"Yes." He laughed louder, ignoring the roaring pain in his whole body. "I am. I like people to think I was his abused son. It makes a better story, don't you think?"

"You certainly are a disgusting person." Seokjin had a grimace on his face. 

"Always so condescending." Taehyung clicked his tongue while he walked towards Seokjin, trying to ignore Jungkook's bloody back. "You are no better than me, darling." 

"Don't you dare compare yourself to me." Seokjin hated being compared to the low lives that he believed were beneath him. "You and I are nothing alike." 

"Really?" Taehyung stopped and tilted his head. "How did it start? Little animals, right? And then your father made you go around killing people. You took a liking for it, for the thrill. After that you never stopped. You like it so much you came here every other night to torture some poor soul just because you like the way people look at you when they die." 

"Are you obsessed with me, Kim Taehyung?" Seokjin grinned.

"Of course, darling." Taehyung looked up at Jungkook, again only managing to focus on the slits in his back. "You know how obsessive I get over my little toys." 

"Toy?" Seokjin had that pathetic dismissive tone as he stared at Jungkook with a grimace. "I would never lower myself to  _ that _ point." 

"Darling," Taehyung licked his lips. "You are  _ not _ my type."

Jungkook groaned again. He had been waiting for too long. That boy was not going to last long if they kept this up. He had to come to an agreement or kill that man. Seokjin was not stupid- he knew that Taehyung was there to kill him. Or at least try. But there was something else. That man did not just  _ do _ things. It was all carefully planned. There was something there, he felt it. He could fucking feel it. It was almost there. Taehyung had to know. He always knew everything Seokjin did, he could always deal with his intricate plans and the way he would maneuver against whatever Taehyung had planned. He never underestimated him, but this time he was lost. Truly lost. Why was he there? Why did he want him there? 

Taehyung then realized he had no fucking plan for this. This was not supposed to be happening. Jungkook was not supposed to be in this situation. He just went there. He wanted to kill this man so bad, he did not even bother to check before. To plan. Taehyung had made a mistake. For the first time in so long, he had made a big fucking mistake and Seokjin knew it. Jungkook truly was a liability. He knew it and chose to ignore it. Now that boy was going to get the both of them killed. That was bad. The worst it had ever been. Taehyung could feel the acid in his stomach bubble. 

"You finally realized, didn't you?" Seokjin walked and sat back down. 

Taehyung did not answer. 

"You lost." Seokjin pressed on the button as Jungkook was lowered to the ground. 

Taehyung felt some sort of relief. But it was gone as fast as it came. He had never seen Jungkook's face. He only assumed it was him. But that person had his back to him the whole time. The body hit the floor and Taehyung could finally see his face. It was not Jungkook.  _ Fuck. _ It had never been. This was not about him.  _ Fuck. _ This was about Taehyung. About failure. Taehyung was alive and Seokjin would never allow that.  _ Fuck. _ The one who liked keeping people alive was Jackson. Seokjin liked death. He liked to see people dying in front of him. This was about unfinished business. Taehyung was going to finally die because of Jungkook. Because he cared too much. Seulgi was fucking right. 

"You were talking about failure." He smiled. "And I agree, I failed." 

"This was it, wasn't it?" Taehyung was smiling, but he was dead inside. "It was all about this." 

"I'm not greedy like you." Seokjin reached inside his pocket, putting a new set of white gloves on his hand. "I already have an empire."

_ Your empire? _

"You could have done it before." Taehyung hissed. "Why now?" 

"It was quite simple actually." Seokjin smacked his lips together. "I needed someone to do what I needed them to do. I searched for a long time until I heard about you. The  _ artist _ from Daegu. Quite interesting." 

Taehyung remained silent as he endured the burning pain in his back. He could feel the droplets of sweat forming on his forehead. 

"You were uncontrollable." Seokjin grinned. "No one could own Kim Taehyung, could they? No. You had a plan. A quite obvious one. Kill those who hurt me. I know I shouldn't expect much from a pathetic thing like you. But I did. Always the disappointment. I sent people to you and you did your little show."

"You were all over the place as well. You did not stop with Daegu. You were so greedy that you came into  _ my _ city. And then you aimed for Seoul, for the throne." Seokjin stood up. "You even made me go to Japan to deal with the aftermath of your little plan with Yuto. I admit, it was truly fascinating. But in the end it was just annoying." 

_ Your city? _

"You knew it all." Taehyung smiled. 

"Of course I did. I sent the information to you." Seokjin put his hands together and shrugged. "I gave you everything. All the information you ever wanted and needed, I gave you. Didn't you find it funny how every single piece of information you requested got to you in so little time and so filled with details? Do you think your people were  _ that  _ talented? In this world, Kim Taehyung, money and fear make wonders."

"What exactly do you want?" 

"I can have whatever I want." Seokjin clapped. "Now I have the only thing that was missing."

"So this was all so you could finish what you started?" Taehyung maintained a calm tone. 

_ I'm not going to fucking lose to you. _

"Indeed." Seokjin sighed. "It was fun watching you kill all my competition for me. See you so determined to have something you could not have even in a million years. You are not  _ worthy _ of that throne, Taehyung." 

_ I'm not going to fucking lose to you. _

Taehyung smiled. 

He had a gun. He had a knife. But that did not matter. He had fucking lost. He had fallen into a trap. He could kill Seokjin, one bullet to that head. But they were both too fucked up to accept that as truly winning. The game had to be perfectly played in order for them to be considered winners. No cheating was allowed. He could not live with himself knowing he lost the last battle. Killing Seokjin now did not mean he had truly won. It was cheating. As fucked up as that sounded, they were both like that. They would not accept winning like one of the lowly fucks they owned. What was the point? He had played for so long, he had done the inimaginable. Yet he had just lost. Death would be a better ending to that story. 

Taehyung kneeled.

Kim Taehyung had been defeated.

"And you said such obedience was hard to find." Seokjin laughed. "I didn't even have to ask." 

Taehyung was not some pathetic fuck. He accepted his fate. He accepted death. Indeed, Seokjin had won. He had finally lost. He had lost because of Jungkook.  _ No. _ He had lost because he had been stupid. Everything was gone. Every single person he had killed and tortured, every deal he had made and risk he had taken were gone in just a second. With just a sentence. Taehyhung wanted to laugh. He truly did. He was in pain. He was disgusted with himself. He was ashamed. He could not look Seulgi in the face. All that she had been through because of him was in vain. Because he was stupid. 

"Don't feel too bad about it." Seokjin smiled as he walked towards the semi corpse on the ground. "No one has ever won against me."

The man was lying on the ground covered in blood. His back dripping blood onto the floor. It was disgusting, really. Not really different from what he did, but he had never felt the pain he inflicted on people. But this, this was different. He knew exactly how it worked. How the pain felt. Which part hurt the most, what it felt to have the blood drip from his body. The pressure on his back. His back burned even more. 

_ No one has ever won against me. _

Why did such a sentence feel so wrong? So inaccurate. This kept burning inside Taehyung's mind while he watched Seokjin unhook the half dead man. He was sure he wasn't dead because of the low groans he would make from time to time. It was a bit gruesome, but it was not bothersome. Perhaps the blood was the worst part. That disgusting metallic smell filled the room. A disgusting stench that Taehyung hated. He dealt with blood all the time, but he somehow never got used to it. Blood, so much of it. In the end it all mixed with that sweet smell. That scent he would bathe in if he could. It was a unique sweetness. Not flowery...

_ Wait. _

"How could you say no one has ever won against you?" Taehyung let out a small laugh, ignoring the pain that had already taken over his body. 

Seokjin raised his eyebrow. 

_ This shit is not over, you condescending cunt. _

"Oh, you  _ have _ failed once." Taehyung tilted his head.

"Enlighten me."

"Wait." Taehyung coughed and he could taste the blood in his mouth. "Wait." 

"Are you trying to delay the inevitable?" 

"Why did you go to Japan?" 

Seokjin arched a brow. 

"Why the fuck did you go to Japan?" Taehyung had to rub that shit in his face. "Tell me!" 

"You know why, Taehyung." Seokjin sighed. "Just give up." 

"Don't you fucking lie." Taehyung was pissed. "Don't you fucking dare lie to me, you annoying fuck." 

"Mind your tone." 

"You knew, didn't you?" Taehyung finally stood up again and this time the pain almost made him fall to the ground. "You pathetic fuck, you _ knew _ !" 

Seokjin was silent.

"The great Kim Seokjin is a weak fuck!" Taehyung laughed and then coughed, this time he spit the blood on the ground. "You fucking weak son of a bitch! You couldn't do it, could you?" 

"I have no idea what you are talking about." 

"I can't believe I fucking had to endure you all this time." Remaining standing was now a very difficult task. "You are  _ nothing _ ! You were always a weak fuck." 

Seokjin picked up the scalp from the tray beside him. His eyes were crazy, he could see it. He knew exactly what Taehyung was talking about. In the end, he had lied his way to victory. If this was his way, then the rules were off. There was nothing worse for someone like Seokjin than to be weak, to be considered less than what he was. That was why he hated Jungkook- because that boy was always so weak and yet his father always favoured him. Weak people were in the end his own weakness. He would never accept being called weak nor people knowing that in the end he had been weak, he had been the thing he hated the most. Victory was  _ delicious _ . The pain was fucking annoying, but victory was there and Seokjin would finally kneel in front of him. 

Taehyung pulled out his gun and aimed it at Seokjin's head. 

"You annoying piece of shit." Taehyung laughed. "You fucking knew it and you hid it, didn't you?" 

"You lost, Taehyung." Seokjin gripped the scalp tighter. "Give up!" 

"Fuck no!" The pain was almost unbearable at this point. "You can't lie to me!" 

"He is dead!" Seokjin finally broke. "I fucking killed him! I buried him!" 

"YOU ARE SO FUCKING  _ WEAK _ !" Taehyung screamed at the top of his lungs. 

Seokjin lunged forward. Taehyun had a choice. It would take one second for him to shoot that man in the head. Blow that pretty head of his. It would all end there. But no, this was not what he wanted. Seokjin didn't deserve to have such a simple ending. Taehyung just wasn't feeling forgiving at this point. He was mad and in pain. An easy solution would be better, but he lusted for blood. He wanted to be vile, to be gruesome. He wanted to make that man an example. He lowered his gun and shot Seokjin in the knee, making him fall backwards while grunting. Yes, having your kneecap shot was  _ extremely _ painful. 

"Well, fuck you!" Taehyung coughed blood again. "Why are you making this so hard?" 

"Me?" Seokjin growled. "You are the one who is going to die today!" 

"No, no!" Taehyung finally gave up and sat on the floor while stroking his gun's barrel. Almost burning his fingertips. "Enough with the lies, Seokjin. It's late." 

Seokjin groaned again while holding his knee.

"You went to Japan because you found out, didn't you?" Taehyung was a bit worried about his raspy breathing. "You wanted to see it for yourself. You wanted to look him in the face and even then you couldn't do it either, could you?" 

"Shut up!" Seokjin was almost screaming. "Shut the fuck up!" 

"That's why you needed me!" Taehyung laughed. "You couldn't do it!"

He couldn't. Taehyung remembered that day. It was an awful fucking day. Gloomy and cold. So cold. Taehyung was a vengeful fuck and he knew it. His plan had already been in place for a while, but that sudden invitation made everything fall into place. The great Kim Seokjin wanted to help Taehyung. He knew Seokjin could never be trusted. Everyone knew that. He was a cunning fox that people had tried to kill many times, only to end up dead themselves. He was an evil sadistic man and people knew it. Killing the great Old Kim would be so easy and would make him push forward with his plan sooner than expected. 

Taehyung remembered handing the needle to Seokjin, only for him to turn away saying he would not dirty his hands. If that old man had kept silent, things would have turned out entirely different. Taehyung would have killed him and left. He would never have heard the whole story. Would never have learned about the things he did. The old man was desperate, he knew it. He could no longer fight against Seokjin, but he was not going to go down so easily. He gave him everything he needed. Told him everything. The old man bought himself time. That wasn't planned, but it was useful. That's how Taehyung knew about everything and everyone, because the old fuck told him everything there was to know. In exchange? He kept him alive. 

The both of them were extremely cunning. Taehyung was not stupid so he had already uncovered a lot of information. But what Old Kim had was special. That was leverage on the other families. It was so easy to make those rich high ranking fucks bend their knees and beg. Information was always important. If Taehyung helped them, he would always be on top. They owed him. And in that world, owing someone was a powerful thing. The old man was smart, he had to give him that. He kept so much about the others and so much about Seokjin. It was all very useful in the end. He even knew about who his son fucked and whatnot. Smart old man. 

"You went all the way to Japan to see your father's face." Taehyung laughed. "And in the end you couldn't do it. You couldn't kill him, again." 

Seokjin gritted his teeth to a point Taehyung thought they would break.

"How did it feel seeing that motherfucker alive and well?" Taehyung aimed his gun at Seokjin again. He was not stupid. "I made sure he lived a very comfortable life." 

And that was enough. Taehyung knew it, that was why he had been aiming his gun at him. Seokjin lunged forward again and Taehyung shot him again. This time on his arm. That made him fall back again. In the end, people were very predictable. You could spend a lifetime making sure people knew nothing about you. But in the end, the very end, instincts would take the best out of anyone. The blood was already staining his white shirt. It was actually a very pretty sight. Taehyung sighed loudly. He wanted to kill that man so badly, but he felt tired. When he looked at his chest, the scalpel was embedded on his skin.  _ Point to Seokjin _ . Blood was seeping out.

He somehow had managed to stab him in the chest. A bit too close to something vital. It annoyed Taehyung deeply. He reached for the handle with his right hand and pulled it out. The pain was there and it was extremely real. It hurt like a motherfucker. 

"You shouldn't have done that." Taehyung was mad, but only sighed. 

"You think you are going to leave here alive?" Seokjin spit on the ground. 

"Why wouldn't I?" Taehyung shrugged and it hurt. 

"And then what?" Seokjin laughed hoarsely. "You're going to play house with him? Gonna fuck him day and night? Call him your little fuck toy?" 

"Well, he _ is _ a very good fuck." Taehyung hid his annoyance. 

"And you think you will rule like that? That people will obey a lowly fuck like you?" Seokjin grinned. "Have you ever seen a noble bow to a peasant?" 

_ Motherfucker. _

"In the end, Taehyung, you did all this shit just so you could die alone." Seokjin grabbed his arm tighter. "Do you think he's going to stick around? I taught him better than that!" 

Jungkook would never leave. Taehyung made sure of it. He gave everything that boy would ever need. He was not going to be alone. Not in this lifetime. Jungkook would never leave, neither would Seulgi. They both owed him their lives. People who owed could never leave. Not until they paid their debts. And a debt with Taehyung was a lifelong one. He would never allow them to leave. Seokjin was wrong. He was  _ wrong _ . 

"You have nothing!" Seokjin faced him with fire in his eyes. "Not even that stupid boy! You will never have anything nor anyone, you psychotic fuck!" 

Taehyung gritted his teeth, but it took him only a second for his head to hit the ground. Everything was spinning and there were dark spots in his sight. He could barely focus, but he knew Seokjin was on top of him strangling him with all his might. He was crazy out of his mind.  _ Psychotic fuck _ . This was truly the end for one of them and Taehyung would not go down like this. He couldn't. His gun had flung back somewhere in the room, so that option was not on the table anymore. Taehyung grabbed Seokjin's arms and tried pushing him away, to no avail. He then ignored the roaring pain in his body and turned, tilting both to the side. 

_ Annoying motherfucker. _

They looked like animals. Hissing at each other while crouching on the floor. Taehyung turned his head and he could see his gun just behind Seokjin. The other man did not seem to realize it. So the plan would be to dance around until he could be close enough to his gun. Seokjin would die with a bullet in the head. Sadly. Taehyung calculated quickly how fast he would have to jump in order to grab that gun and that would be no easy feat.  _ Fuck _ . Seokjin glared at him for a long time and Taehyung could see he had understood his plan. Things were very fucked up and the chances of leaving that place alive had just gotten much slimmer. 

_ Where's Seulgi? _

"Where the fuck is he?" Taehyung growled. 

"Why would I tell you?" Seokjin laughed loudly. "You're both going to die all alone!" 

"I'm going to blow your fucking head! Tell me where the fuck he is!" 

"GO AHEAD YOU PATHETIC FUCK!" Seokjin belted. “I'M GOING TO LET HIM BLEED OUT LIKE THE USELESS PIG HE IS AND YOU ARE GOING TO BE ALONE FOR THE REST OF YOUR PATHETIC LIFE!" 

Taehyung had no idea how anything happened. How he managed to do that. How that tile ended in his hand. Where did it come from? Why was there blood on his hands? Seokjin was gurgling blood under him and Taehyung could not stop. He just could not stop. The man looked less like a human by the second, but he could not stop. Each time he hit him with that tile everything would spin. 

"I." He hit Seokjin, blood spilling on his face.

"WILL." 

"NEVER." There was blood everywhere and the gurgling sound had stopped. 

"BE."

"ALONE!" He continued bashing the man's head with that blood tile.

Was there even a tile in his hands anymore? Taehyung's hand hurt, but he continued bashing that man's head. It had already sunk down into a deep pool of blood. But he did not stop. There was not a human under him anymore. There was pain in his chest. There had been for a long time and now was time to let it out. He owed him that much. Free himself. He had won. But to what cost? Taehyung was alone. He had always been. People either left him for other people or they died. He was always alone. 

"NEVER."

"FUCKING."

"EVER." He screamed at the top of his lungs. 

"FUCK."

"YOU."

"ALL." 

"TAEHYUNG, STOP!" Seulgi's voice echoed in his ears and he could feel the hands pull him back.

He pushed her with all his might, making her roll back several feet. 

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!" He growled loudly. "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TOUCH ME!" 

Taehyung continued bashing that blob under him. What was that? Seokjin had died long ago, but he could not stop. He just couldn't. Taehyung could not hold it in. 

"Do something!" She hissed. 

"What am I supposed to do?" Chanyeol's voice echoed in the room. "He's going to kill us both!" 

"Taehyung stop, he's already dead!" Seulgi pleaded. 

"Taehyung, let go!" Chanyeol begged. "Just let go!" 

"Dead!" Taehyung wheezed. "T-They all d-died! I'm all…all alone! They all left me! You did too!" 

"Taehyung, I'm here!" Seulgi was closer. "Please, let go!" 

There was a tile in his hand. There was so much blood. The small thud of the tile hitting the floor broke the daze. Taehyung looked down to the pool of blood. Seokjin was gone. Everything was numb and he could hear a ringing sound in his ear. It was loud.  _ So _ loud. The pain in his chest was so strong it was amazing how he could even breathe. Hell, he couldn't breathe anymore. He was heaving. Trying to pull air into his lungs, but nothing happened. Nothing went in. Seokjin was dead and he would die soon after. Was there even a point in continuing? He could hear the hollow sound of his breathing. 

"Please, breathe!" Seulgi begged him while he stared at her as he lied on her lap. 

"So-sorry." Taehyung managed to mumble. 

A complete darkness took over. Taehyung was so tired and maybe it was really time to let go. He had done more than enough for an afterlife in hell. He had done enough. Killed enough. Maybe enough for a simple death, but he didn't deserve that. Life would not be kind like that. She was a cold bitch and Taehyung knew it. Death was the easy way out and he did not deserve that. He knew he had to suffer for longer. He regretted it. He truly did. Tahyung wished he had died in the snow when he was a kid. That would have been better. 

"And why would I do that?" The old man laughed. 

"Because I know you are too proud to die in his hands." Taehyung grinned. 

He knew that, he was sure of it. That old fuck was too proud to accept being killed by Seokjin. Taehyung was happy that this was the case. This would work in his favor. Hopefully, it would take Seokjin a while to find out about that. A year? Maybe more? If the cards were played right, this could end up being buried forever. It was a good deal. 

"You are too greedy, kid." 

"The butcher of Busan saying that." Taehyung laughed loudly. "Are you trying to amuse me?" 

"It's been a long time since I heard that name." The old man laughed hoarsely. 

"That's because you blamed it all on someone else." 

"You're not too stupid." The old man licked his lips. "I like that." 

"And you're not a senile old fuck." Taehyung scoffed. "Cut with the pleasantries, start talking." 

"If you're going to act like a spoiled brat, might as well stick that needle in my neck." 

"I'm considering it." Taehyung had reached his limit while he played with the needle in his hand. 

"You want too much." The old man coughed again. "It will be the death of you." 

"I'm not like you sad fucks." Taehyung pointed the needle at the old fuck. "What I did to get here is much more than any of you ever did." 

"Don't go on thinking you are special. You are not. You are no better than me or  _ him _ ." 

"I'm going to give you a friendly reminder." Taehyung stepped closer to the bedridden man. "Do  _ not _ compare me to your fucked up offspring." 

"Which one?" The old man laughed hoarsely. 

Taehyung tilted his head with amusement. That old fuck had two sons, there was nothing wrong about that. But something about that sentence made him question that. There was more to it than met the eyes. He knew it. 

"Jeon Jungkook is your son." Taehyung clapped. "What a piece of shit you are." 

"I only have two sons." He arched an eyebrow. 

"Seokjin is not one of them." 

"Why would you say that?" The old man laughed. 

"Because you wouldn't have killed his mother for nothing." 

The old man straightened himself in the bed with a grin on his pale dry lips. 

"Everyone knows better than to betray you." Taehyung laughed. "You are famous for killing those who betray the Kim Family. Everyone has heard at least one story. You even had your own son kill the son of the head of a gang who betrayed you. You were always a ruthless piece of shit." 

"You are right." 

"So why would she die all of a sudden?" Taehyung scratched his chin. "Unless she had a reason to die." 

The old man hummed. 

"Seokjin was never your son, was he?" 

"Some people get confused with trust." He tapped his index on his thigh. "They think trust is unbreakable."

"Not in this world."

"Exactly." He laughed again. "Never trust anyone." 

"So Jungkook is the real heir of the Busan throne." 

"No, Kim Taehyung." The old man coughed violently. "If you play this game correctly, Jungkook will be the heir of the biggest throne in South Korea, Seoul."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was not the original plan, but I'm happy with how everything went down.  
> (FYI: Seokjin is my bias)  
> This is the beginning of the end. I'm sad and happy at the same time. But now that I've read and re-read the ending, I'm thinking about changing it. Crazy, I know. But this story was all written like that. I would feel the urge and write 12 to 15 pages at a go. I liked doing it like that, because, for me, it made the story more honest and intense. But sometimes I would write 3 to 4 chapters only to take them out of the story (hehe). I would watch a drama or read a book and get soft/angry/sad/happy. But then I would read it a few days later with a new mindset and would get bored, so I would just take them out of the document.  
> Therefore I am reviewing the final chapter and I will only post it when I'm 100% sure of it. Or maybe post both endings. I don't know. It won't take long though. Bear with me! 
> 
> BTW if you guys want to talk or have doubts about the story, you can find me at my twitter: @vicmrces


	41. BACK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it people! Final chapter is finally here (sorry for being MIA for 2 weeks) and there are a couple of warnings: 
> 
> \- There is an implied/mention of suicide. So if you do not want to read it you can just skip it. It starts at: "That was guilt." and ends at: "Taehyung was the one to blame." 
> 
> \- There is mention of torture. It's not as explicit as the ones before, but it's still there. So be aware of the explicit content.
> 
> This chapter is LONG (it's 18 pages long - sorry or not sorry, you choose)!
> 
> Enjoy the ending. I know I did.

"Shouldn't you be getting up?" Jungkook stared at the mirror while fixing his tie. 

"Do I have to?" Taehyung whined. 

Jungkook rolled his eyes. 

"You are such an annoying fuck." Taehyung retorted. 

The other man had been lying in bed tossing and turning all morning. Jungkook was not sleeping by the time Taehyung finally arrived. He felt the bed move but did not open his eyes. It was probably the middle of the night as always. Jungkook had been too tired to deal with Taehyung's latest projects. He knew quite well who he had been talking to and what he had been doing. He knew a _lot_. But he could not be bothered and he had felt like that for a long time. Taehyung had become extremely psychotic and Jungkook had grown tired. 

The fights and the eternal distrust were extremely tiring. But who could say no to Kim Taehyung? Who would dare to? Would anyone dare to leave his side? Jungkook could see the frozen faces of those men. The fear in them. The two corpses that Taehyung had left in the freezer at _Hwanggeum_ the day before were the answer to his question. Former associates who wanted to run their own business. No one could ever leave Taehyung without facing the consequences. 

"What's on your mind?" Jungkook could see Taehyung tilting his head in amusement through the mirror. 

"You woke me up." 

"Sorry, baby." The grown man pouted and Jungkook rolled his eyes. 

He did not bother to talk back. 

"Are you mad?" 

Jungkook could feel him coming closer. The rustling of the sheets was the only sound in the room. In no time, he could feel the fingers running up and down the back of his neck. Jungkook just sighed and he heard Taehyung's faint laugh. It was truly tiring being around him. The way he would manipulate everything around him, everyone. After a few years, one would certainly grow tired. The reflection in the mirror showed him a shirtless Taehyung standing behind him. His scars and bruises reminded Jungkook of how fucked up they were. New and old in the same chest. And the scar Jungkook hated the most. The small white line just above Taehyung's right nipple. He hated that scar with all his being. Jungkook shook his head to make the other man stop as he made sure his clothes were fitted. Taehyung scoffed. 

"Someone's grumpy this morning."

"It's past noon." Jungkook turned and headed for the bed, avoiding Taehyung. "I have to check on suppliers." 

"Want me to come along?" 

Jungkook inhaled for a second and stared at his bag on top of the bed. He put his phone and wallet inside. The sudden touch of the cold metal with his skin made him shiver. He had bumped into his gun while fixing his bag. He wanted to grab it and shoot that man. He really did. But he just sighed and closed his bag. 

"I don't want any of them dead." Jungkook scoffed. "But thank you for the interest check." 

"Do you really want to do this right now?" Jungkook had his back to Taehyung but he knew that man had arched his brow. 

"I'll be at _Hwanggeum_ for the rest of the day." Jungkook headed for the door. "You can call me if you want. Doesn't mean I'll answer." 

Jungkook opened the door and slammed it shut. He had been done with Taehyung for a long time, but things were getting increasingly worse. Alarming even. Jungkook sighed again and reached inside his bag for his phone. There weren't many people in his life anymore. They had either died or become enemies to Taehyung so there wasn't much left. He was forced to befriend those who had stuck around and somehow him and Seulgi had become close. Not friends. That could not be called friendship, but it was better than having no one by his side. 

_JJK: Where are you?_

__  
  
_KS: Out._

_JJK: Meet me at H._

_KS: Call Baekhyun._

_KS: I'm busy._

_JJK: I’d rather kill myself._

_JJK: Thank you._

_KS: Do you need help with that?_

_JJK: …_

_KS: I'll go later._

Jungkook sighed once more. It was a new habit of his. He sighed at least a million times a day. He had lost interest in many things. After Seulgi and Chanyeol rescued him from the place Seokjin had kept him, Jungkook's mind was never the same. He sat by Taehyung's bed for a month until he woke up. He had long heard about what Taehyung had done to Seokjin. Imagining how he would kill the man. He tried it twice but gave up. He accepted it. Taehyung had finally won and Jungkook had lost everything. Everyone. He was all alone with that man. He could not kill him, because that would mean he would be truly alone. After that day, nothing mattered anymore. 

He walked down the hallway and down the stairs. Jungkook liked the fact the house was bright. He would always open every single curtain to let the sunlight in. Taehyung hated it. He would never admit to it out loud, but he did get some pleasure out of annoying Taehyung like that. Jungkook walked up to the wall and pressed the button, making sure the curtains were all drawn back and the sunlight invaded the room. He smiled for the first time that day. The loudness of the vacuum brought him back to reality. Someone was vacuuming the dining room. 

A few months prior, a shipment had arrived in Seoul. Mostly women for Taehyung's clubs he ran alongside _Yowang_. Jungkook was there to oversee the count. But his eyes only focused on the small girl hugging her legs in the corner of the container while she sobbed. His heart sank. He picked her up and brought her back to the house. Everyone knew about him and Taehyung, but he claimed the girl as his own, a toy. She was his and no one could touch her. Taehyung was mad that day and Jungkook ended up with a broken rib. Still, he made sure that the girl survived. She was a mute. How could they expect her to survive in that brutal world without being able to speak for herself? 

She hid herself in the guest bedroom for weeks. Not going out for anything. Jungkook would leave a tray of food in front of her room every night. He would always happily collect the empty tray in the morning. It meant she was eating and that made him happy. One day he woke up to the sound of glass breaking. Taehyung was deep in sleep beside him, so he got worried thinking it could have been the girl. He ran downstairs to find her cleaning the glasses in the kitchen sink. She began cleaning the house everyday after that. In the end,she became their cleaning lady. 

Jungkook had been trying to learn thai sign language for a while in order to communicate better with her. He had made a big improvement but sometimes the two would only get flustered at their failed attempts at trying to understand each other. Jungkook treated her like a little sister of his. Always protective. He even named her Na-ri. It was a nice name. It meant lily flower and Na-ri had agreed to be called that. She became a nice twist to something he used to hate deeply. Jungkook walked to the dining room. He smiled brightly at her and she returned the smile. She bowed and then turned off the vacuum. 

"Did you sleep well?" Jungkook gestured. 

"Yes." Na-ri smiled at him while gesturing. 

"I have to work, will you be ok?"

"Yes, don't worry." She nodded. "What do you want for dinner?" 

"Thai food!" Jungkook laughed. 

"I'll make something tasty!" She laughed as well, but it was soundless. 

"He is awake." Jungkook's smile faded. "Please be careful." 

"Don't worry." She was still smiling. "I will be careful."

Jungkook forced one last smile as he bowed to leave. He was always worried Taehyung would do something to Na-ri. He hated her. Hated how close she was to Jungkook. The reality was that he was jealous. Not in a jealous boyfriend kind of way, but in a possessive psycho way. Taehyung did not like to share anything. Food, clothes, or people. What belonged to him, was his and no one could dare touch it. It was especially worse for Jungkook due to his fucked up sense of love. Owning him was the equivalent of loving him. It was as fucked up as it would possibly get, yet Jungkook had stayed. Partly because he just did not feel like leaving anymore.

\--

Jungkook hated when people acted stupid on purpose. While running a business, he had to deal with a lot of people that acted like that. They were not stupid, not even a bit. In fact, they were smart enough to try to pull stupid stunts on him. But he was used to it already. Jungkook was no longer a stupid kid who didn't know better. He had Taehyung to thank for that. He had learned it the hard way not to trust people and how to deal with them whenever they tried to pull things like that. It was truly annoying and patience was not something he had anymore- also thanks to Taehyung. 

"And what am I supposed to do with you?" Jungkook cracked his knuckles. 

"I swear, Mr. Jeon." The man was kneeling in front of him rubbing his palms in a pleading manner. "I did not know!" 

"Everytime shit like that happens," Jungkook clicked his tongue. "You all say that you did not know." 

The man swallowed.

"Do I pay you all to be stupid?" Jungkook sighed. "I really hate wasting my money on incompetence." 

"I swear I will make it up to you, sir!" The man pleaded again. 

"You won't." Jungkook stood up from his chair. "That's the problem. You have already failed me and that means you won't succeed in making up for my losses. All because you decided to act stupid." 

The man was silent. 

"I am a terrible judge of character, you know?" Jungkook laughed as he looked at Mingyu, who was standing in the corner. "I'm to blame for thinking you could do a good job. Don't blame yourself, okay?" 

"Please, sir." 

"Don't worry." Jungkook kneeled in front of the man and stroked his cheek. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He turned his head and gave Mingyu a knowing look. One he hated. He stood up and looked down at the man. He sat back in his chair and put both his hands on the big desk in front of him. He sighed once more. He could open the first drawer and shoot that man dead, but that would damage the rug and it would be a lot more troublesome to clean. It was really annoying. But that man could not live anymore. Examples had to be set from time to time and that was one of those times. Jungkook did not lose a lot of money, but that was still his money. That he lost because that man thought he could steal a few boxes and sell them to the highest bidder in the streets. Ten boxes of fine scotch would kill him. How much was that? 

Mingyu cleared his throat, forcing Jungkook to come back to reality. He looked at Mingyu and nodded. The statue-like man walked forward and helped the other man up. Jungkook could see he was trembling hard, fear all over his face. Jungkook hated that look, but he saw it more than he cared to admit. Many times it was because of him. Nowadays people feared him to a certain extent. Half of it was because he worked closely with Taehyung. Jungkook was also his lover. Everyone in Seoul knew that and probably everyone in South Korea as well. It did not bother him that people knew. Being associated with Taehyung was the really bothersome thing. Jungkook was never free from that man. 

The man was taken out of his office and Mingyu bowed slightly as he closed the door. He knew that man was as good as dead. He was the one who made it that way. But it was annoying. Four hours into work and someone was already dead. Jungkook rarely did any killing. That was what Mingyu was for. But he still hated it. He had grown used to it, but it did not make it any better. 

The door opened suddenly. 

"Don't you know how to knock?" Jungkook propped his chin on his hand. 

"No." Baekhyun had that stupid grin of his. 

"What is it?" 

"I looked up what you asked." Baekhyun sat on the edge of the table, crossing his legs. "And you were right." 

"And?" 

"He's still my boss." Baekhyun tilted his head. 

"Have you discovered the meaning of loyalty?" 

"Someone's grumpy today." 

"Is there a day in which you are less annoying?" 

"You'd have to ask Chanyeol about that." Baekhyun laughed. "But I'm less annoying when I'm passed out after he fucks me out of my mind."

"Disgusting." 

"Just because your sex life sucks, doesn't mean mine does." 

"Again," Jungkook scoffed. "Disgusting." 

The door opened again. 

"It's a party!" Baekhyun clapped. 

"Why are you here?" Seulgi raised a brow.

"Because we are friends!" Baekhyun laughed. 

"Chanyeol is the only person who can stand you." Seulgi shrugged. "I pity the man." 

"Baekhyun was just leaving." Jungkook gave him a look. 

"Yes, I was." Baekhyun stood up and bowed slightly. "You can pay me a drink later." 

Jungkook hummed. 

Baekhyun left quickly, giving Jungkook an intense look. That drink meant he would tell him whatever he had found out later. It was the routine. Baekhyun was an annoying leech, but he was good at what he did. Every single information Jungkook had ever requested, he had managed to find out in a very short amount of time. It was suspicious at first, so Taehyung had him followed night and day. They discovered nothing. He was clean. _Too_ clean. That was why no one trusted him fully, only Chanyeol. That man was a very good hitman, but he trusted people too blindly. Especially if the person was pretty and had a cock between his legs. 

"Why was he here?" 

"It doesn't concern you." Jungkook leaned back on his chair. 

"Don't do anything stupid, Jungkook." Seulgi grinned. 

"You know, I could kill him in his sleep." Jungkook smiled. "You would only find a naked dead body the morning after." 

"I used to think you were incapable of doing that." She took a seat. "I'm not sure anymore." 

"How sad." Jungkook opened his drawer and pulled out a pack of smokes, making sure he picked out two cigarettes. "I've become just as fucked up as you all."

He handed Seulgi one of the cigarettes and then lit his own. 

"He's being messy again." 

"And how is that my problem?" Jungkook puffed on the cigarette and exhaled a big cloud of smoke. 

"He only acts like that when there's something between the two of you." 

"You want me out of town." 

"Yes." Seulgi tapped her cigarette on the ashtray. 

"No." Jungkook grinned. 

"I wasn't asking." 

"And who exactly do you think you are to demand anything from me?" Jungkook puffed strongly and put out his cigarette on the silver ashtray. "He is _your_ problem. I just let him fuck me from time to time and give his percentage of the business. The rest doesn't really concern me." 

"Are you going for the cold bitch act?" She was amused. 

"I'm going for the do your job act." Jungkook smiled. "Your incompetence does not interest me." 

"Don't say things you might regret." 

"Seulgi, darling." Jungkook stood up. "I regret many things, but this is not one of them." 

Jungkook gestured for the door and the woman quickly put out her cigarette and stood up. Yes, they were friendly to each other but only when it was necessary to do so. This was not one of those moments. When it came to Taehyung, they had very different feelings towards him. Jungkook tolerated the man, while she worshipped him. Seulgi belonged to him on a different level. He was her big brother, the man who saved her. To Jungkook he was the only thing preventing him from being free. And for some reason he could never let go. The Stockholm Syndrome was already too strongly embedded inside his mind. So Jungkook would only wake up in the middle of the night and stare at Taehyung. Dreaming about killing him and also how regretful he felt about thinking such things. 

"I'll take him out for dinner tonight." Jungkook forced a smile. "The rest is _your_ job." 

"Yes, _sir_." 

Seulgi bowed and left the room calmly. Jungkook picked up his phone. 

_"Do you have plans for tonight?"_ He was trying hard not to hiss.

 _"Are you going to lure me somewhere to get me killed?"_ He knew Taehyung was grinning. 

_"I will hang up."_

_"Fine."_ Taehyung sighed. _"I can cancel my plans."_

_"We're having dinner."_

_"What's the occasion?"_ Taehyung was definitely amused.

 _"Seulgi said you were annoying her."_ Jungkook rolled his eyes. _"I'm trying to make sure she doesn't kill you."_

_"How thoughtful of you."_ His tone was different, so Jungkook got suspicious. 

_"What happened?"_ Jungkook said before he could control himself. He hated caring.

_"Nothing."_

_"Speak."_

_"Are you demanding something?"_

_"Yes."_ Jungkook hissed. _"Now speak."_

 _"Just business."_ Taehyung was dodging the subject. _"We can talk over dinner."_

_"Where?"_

_"La Marque D'infamie."_ Jungkook could see the grin on Taehyung's face.

_"French?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Fine."_ Jungkook sighed. _"Be there at 8pm."_

Jungkook ended the call and stared at his phone for a few seconds. He hated that restaurant, but it was Taehyung's favorite. A French restaurant with a horrible name. It was just a fancy way of saying _stigma_ and those were basically scars and bruises. Something Taehyung loved. No wonder he owned it. Out of all his businesses, this was one of his favorites. The best French restaurant in town. The food was served in very small amounts and the place was decorated with shades of red. The sadistic motherfucker didn't even try to hide his lust for blood. Jungkook hated that place. 

\--

It was almost 8pm when Jungkook checked on his watch. He would be late and Taehyhung would nag about it. He didn't care. Mingyu was sitting in front of him in his office, looking over the books. The man was good at keeping check on those things, so Jungkook always made him double check if he had made any mistakes. He never did. Jungkook tapped on the table with his fingers. 

"If you have to go," Mingyu did not even bother to look at him. "Go."

"I can wait." 

"But he can't." Mingyu finally took his eyes off the book. "And if you say it was my fault, I will kill you myself." 

"I hate that place." 

"So you are making excuses to piss him off?" He closed the book loudly and a bit too violently. 

"Is everyone trying to piss _me_ off today?" Jungkook was actually pissed. 

"You're being childish." Mingyu put the book under his right arm and stood up. "And it doesn't suit you."

"You're being a dick and that most certainly suits you." 

"Thank you." Mingyu grinned. 

"Fine." Jungkook stood up while rolling his eyes. "Go."

"Do you want me to drive you?" 

"No." Jungkook put on his coat. 

"Good." Mingyu grinned. "Because I have better things to do." 

"I really could shoot you in the head right now." 

"You couldn't." Mingyu turned around and left the room. 

Jungkook was fighting hard the will not to growl back, but the man would certainly not hear him. He put his chair in place and left his office. As soon as he reached the bottom floor, he could see most tables occupied by patrons. That was a good sight. It meant business was doing well. Weekdays were always a problem, but not for him. Not for the business he ran. People came there for the most varied reasons. Alcohol, drugs and sex. _Hwanggeum_ was a place where rich people could fulfill their fantasies. Jungkook had made sure of that. If they wanted access to the best alcohol in town, they would find it there. If they wanted Taehyung's best quality drugs, they would pay whatever the amount for it. 

"Everything okay, sir?" Jihoon called him. 

"Yes, yes." Jungkook smiled. "Just seeing if everything is going smoothly." 

"Good as always, sir." Jihoon smiled back. 

"Why do I feel like you are lying?"

"We had a complicated client." He looked down. "It has all been dealt with."

"Complicated?"

"He was not on the list, but he insisted on a table." Jihoon laughed. "Said he was an old acquaintance of yours, sir." 

"His name." 

"He refused to say, sir."

"How did he look?" 

"Tall, brown hair." Jihoon looked around. "Nothing exceptional about it." 

"I want the CCTV images on my desk first thing in the morning." 

"Yes, sir." Jihoon bowed and continued bowing until Jungkook left. 

An old acquaintance was not normal. But Jungkook chose to wait instead of jumping to conclusions. His instincts told him it was not good, but he let it go for the time being. This was not something Taeyung needed to know about so if he kept on thinking, his face would end up showing that man more than he wanted to. Jungkook just drove to the restaurant as he tried to drown those thoughts. The night was going to be annoying enough, so he did not need anything to add to it. 

_La Marque D'infamie_ sat on a fancy street filled with fancy shops and expensive buldings. Taehyung's posh restaurant that Jungkook always imagined burning down. The valet had already taken his car and he stood in the cold, staring at the glass windows. Taehyung's table was private, so he could not see him through those large windows, but the restaurant was relatively full. Jungkook sighed and walked to the door. A smiley young woman bowed and opened the door for him. The maitre was waiting for him inside. 

"This way, Mr. Jeon." He said with a smile.

Jungkook hummed and followed the man around the back and into Taehyung's private room. It was the only one and it was his. It was good for conducting business with other families and visitors. The maitre opened the door and Jungkook stepped inside. Taehyung was sitting drinking his wine. Always the handsome man. The doors closed again and Jungkook stared at him. Taehyung was mad and he knew it. 

"You're late." He hissed. 

"And?"

"Are you trying to piss me off?" The glass was in serious danger of breaking.

"I had work to do." Jungkook took off his coat and placed it on the chair beside his, sitting down calmly. "Don't start." 

"And since when do _I_ have to wait for _you_?" 

"I'm leaving." Jungkook stood up. 

"Fine." Taehyung growled. "Sit." 

Taehyung rubbed the bridge of his nose. 

"What is going on?" Jungkook grabbed Taehyung's glass and sipped on the wine. "Why are you so annoyed?" 

"Someone is acting up." Taehyung gritted his teeth. "Going for my things." 

"What do you mean?" 

"It's been happening for a month or so." Taehyung grabbed his glass back. "Someone is fucking up my drugs, deliveries, containers and now they went for the legal businesses." 

"You've known for a month and you didn't say anything?" 

"Am I supposed to tell you everything?" 

"When we sleep in the same bed and work together," Jungkook grinned. "Yes." 

"Such a fucking liar." 

"Excuse me?"

"As if you tell me everything about your life." Taehyung scoffed. "I have to find shit through others." 

Jungkook was silent. 

"It used to be fucking great, you know?" Taehyung smiled. "I used to want to be around you." 

"I used to feel the same way." Jungkook poured wine for himself. "Now we hate each other." 

"You have always hated me." 

"Not true." Jungkook took a long sip. "I loved you once." 

"Pathetic."

"Well, I _was_ pathetic." Jungkook smiled. "Now I'm just someone else." 

"You changed." Taehyung licked his lips. 

"People tend to grow up."

"No more blood and flowers?" Taehyung laughed. 

"You still remember that?" Jungkook smiled. "Those days are long gone, baby." 

"You changed when he died."

"When you murdered him." Jungkook grinned as he corrected Taehyung. 

"You hate me for that."

"Is this new for you?" He raised a brow while sipping on the wine, his eyes never leaving Taehyung's. 

"Why?" Taehyung leaned forward. "I never asked." 

"Why what?" 

"Why did you hate me for doing that?" 

"Taehyung, things are complicated. Feelings are complicated." Jungkook sighed. "You took everything from me. My life, my family, whatever meaning my life ever had. I stood beside you and all you did was take. You never gave me anything." 

Taehyung was silent this time. 

"And I understand. I do, baby. I really do." Jungkook sipped on more wine. "You don't know how to do anything else. You never did, neither did I. And that's how we ended up in this place. Hating each other but too scared to leave." 

"I don't hate you, Jungkook." Taehyung pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Isn't that nice to hear." 

"Do you hate me?"

"No, Taehyung." Jungkook put his hand on the table, palm up. "I just don't love you anymore." 

Taehyung reached out and held Jungkook's hand. They often did that when they were in a good mood. The warmth made him think back on things, on distant memories. Surprisingly enough, this had never happened in that restaurant. _A toast to first times_. He never left. Not even once. Jungkook had thought about it, but the truth was there was nothing else to his life other than Taehyung. He had stayed for a long time and he would not leave. Not anymore. Those times were gone. He did not love Taehyung anymore, it was true. But that did not mean he did not want to stay by his side and once in a while dream about murdering him. For now, that was only a dream. 

They had sex that night. And as always Jungkook could not touch him. As always, they laid in bed panting afterwards. Just staring at the ceiling for a while and then falling asleep silently. It was not bad, but it was nothing other than sex. Some sort of stress relief. Taehyung fell asleep rather quickly after spending a few minutes tracing the outlines of his tattoo, but Jungkook had a lot on his mind. Taehyung had remembered him about his odd scent and Jungkook felt nostalgic. It had been a long time since he had smelled it. If he remembered correctly, the scent disappeared along with Kim Seokjin. 

A lot of things disappeared with him. Jungkook hated him for a long time but soon after, that man fell into oblivion. His name, his actions, his face. It was all long forgotten. But whenever there was mention or a memory regarding him, it would hurt. Seokjin had been his family for a long time and just like that he was gone. Taehyung took him away, like he did with so many things. So many people. He killed and tortured in the name of love. Trying to convince Jungkook that those actions meant that he loved him. After a while he understood that all those things were Taehyung trying to convince himself. 

Jungkook tossed and turned for a while and then decided to smoke on the balcony of his office. Taehyung hated the smell of smoke inside the house. He put on a robe and headed to the room down the hallway. He closed the door behind him and then headed for the balcony. Jungkook lit his cigarette and inhaled deeply while fishing out his phone from his pocket. He would never leave his phone unattended beside Taehyung. Ever. He unlocked it and pressed the dial button. 

_"Business hours are a thing, you know?"_ Baekhyun was annoyed. 

_"You don't have business hours."_ Jungkook scoffed. _"You work when you are told."_

_"Ever so nice."_

_"Speak."_ Jungkook rolled his eyes. 

_"His last business trip had a detour."_

_"Where?"_ Jungkook wanted to confirm his suspicions. 

_"Outskirts of Kyoto and Busan."_

_"The Busan part I'm quite aware of."_

_"Then what do you need me for?"_ Baekhyun scoffed

_"Who did he visit in Kyoto?"_

_"He went with Yuto."_ Baekhyun stopped for a second. _"It was a business trip."_

_"Tell the whole story."_

_"They visited a Korean man."_ Baekhyun sounded defeated. 

_"My father."_ Jungkook laughed. 

_"Jungkook,"_ Baekhyun sighed. _"If this is true then we have a very big problem in our hands."_

 _"This doesn't change a thing."_ Jungkook laughed. _"The throne was never mine to begin with and he can have it all to himself. He is still going to die while sitting on it."_

_"And would you be ok with that?"_

_"Do you want to know if I would cry?"_ Jungkook grinned.

_"I know you would."_

_"Good night, Baekhyun."_

Jungkook hung up the phone and looked down at the little garden he had at the back of the house. It was an exact reproduction of the one he had in his house back in Busan. He loved that garden and Taehyung hated it. It was his own source of fucked up pleasure, apart from the blinds. Jungkook sighed as he felt the heat from the cigarette in his hands. He let it fall to the ground, watching the flame extinguish itself. Taehyung was a liar. A very good one. Jungkook had spent a long time trying to uncover the truth about many things. Many of the deaths he had heard of and the ones he had faked. His mother first and now his father. 

He never went to visit her. Not even once. He couldn't handle that. So he just sent someone from time to time to see if she was ok. He would see pictures and send anonymous gifts. She probably knew they were his. Who else would do that? Jungkook admired from afar. Never actually looking at her. Deep down he was afraid she would reject him, so in order to avoid that he just stayed away. Let her live her life away from the madness of his world. Away from the darkness. Now he discovered that his father was also alive. Seokjin never killed the man nor did Taehyung. He had discovered the truth about him a long time ago. He was never Namjoon's or Seokjin's brother. The thought made him laugh. 

Yes, Taehyung was a liar. He had lied about many of the killings he had done. Yoongi was one of the fake ones. He never died in prison. Taehyung made sure of that. He transferred him to his house in Daegu and would go there from time to time to gather information and torture the man. He lasted quite a long time and when Taehyhung grew bored, he gave him to his rivals. No one quite knew what happened after that. Death would be a nice ending for him. But maybe he was still being tortured somewhere. Jungkook did not care. His fate was better than Junmyeon’s. 

Taehyung had tortured Sehun for hours in front of Junmyeon and when that man finally gave up and died, Junmyeon became completely insane. Almost a catatonic state. He did not walk nor talk. He had to be hand fed and peed through a bag or in a diaper. Taehyung had him locked up in an institution somewhere. The horror of seeing the love of his life being tortured and dying in front of him made him like that. Destroyed him like that. It was borderline psychotic and even Taehyung knew it. He avoided anything related to that man and even killed people who dared mention his name. Most people thought it was because he despised him, but Jungkook knew better. That was guilt. 

Some time after, the man committed suicide. He slit his own throat and bled to death in his bed. No one knew how he had gotten hold of a pair of scissors. But Jungkook knew how Taehyung had a business trip on that exact day. How he came back with something different in his eyes. He had been merciful for the first time. Jungkook knew that. Junmyeon had left a letter specifically for Taehyung. He never read it, but he saw the signature before the man burned it in the fireplace. The angel of Seoul was finally gone and Taehyung was the one to blame. 

He was the one to blame for a multitude of things, but there would always be an excuse. Taehyung would never admit to his mistakes so lightly. Admit he did those things because that was who he was. He would never admit that, after a while, his position had affected him. Being in charge of everything had made him suspect every single person around him. He was always terrified and scared, but he did not let people see it. Unfortunately Jungkook could see right through him. He saw how he woult take sleeping pills every single night and would still have nightmares that made him wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Most days he would wake up with Taehyung staring at him and he knew what that man was asking himself.

 _When will he leave?_

Taehyung was terrified of being alone, but so was Jungkook. That was one of the reasons which had made him stay. Of course there were many other fucked up reasons as well, but that was one he shared with that man. One he could understand. They were stuck to each other because they were afraid. They were feared. Indeed they were. But what no one knew, apart from them, was that they feared people. Feared what they could take away from them. Taehyung's empire was something he would never let go off, not even for Jungkook. It was his and nothing, other than his death, could change that. Jungkook had already lost everything, so loosing even the smallest of things, made him terrified. It was a sad and pathetic life, but it was the life they had chosen for themselves. Seeds watered with blood will only blossom bloody flowers. Jungkook had learned that the hard way. 

There was a very loud sound of something big breaking downstairs. It was almost as if one of the windows had been shattered. Jungkook turned his head and stared at the door wide eyed. If Na-ri had broken something, Taehyung could not find out. He would certainly punish her. He heard strong footsteps heading downstairs and panicked. Jungkook ran for the door and almost fell down the stairs trying to catch up with Taehyung. He was standing and Na-ri was lying on the ground sobbing. The large window door was broken. 

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?" Jungkook pushed Taehyung out of the way and kneeled on the ground, pulling Na-ri up and letting her rest her head on his chest. The girl was shaking violently. 

Taehyung did not answer so Jungkook looked up, only to have the color drained from his face. The look on Taehyung's face. _That_ look. He had only seen it once. Once had been enough. The look Taehyung had when Jungkook had touched him. The day he saw that man scared. That was it. Taehyhung was scared out of his mind. Jungkook moved Na-ri to make sure she was comfortable. Jungkook knew that there was only one thing that could scare him like that, losing _everything_. And that letter was that. Whatever was written on it, had loss as the outcome. Taehyung was to lose everything. Jungkook wondered if perhaps he was included. 

The man continued to stare ahead, not bothering to look at Na-ri or Jungkook. He held the young woman tightly against his chest and ran his fingers calmly through her hair, trying to make her stop shaking. At some point, Taehyung looked down and stared at the two of them. The paper in his hand was shaking, because his hand was trembling hard. Jungkook was worried. He focused on the piece of paper for a few seconds but the only thing he was able to see were two letters. K and N. Taehyung folded the piece of paper and put it in his sweatpants pocket. 

"Jungkook." His voice was hoarse. "I want the two of you gone by the morning." 

He then turned and left the room, heading for his office that sat on the first floor of the house. The sound of the door slamming shut broke him out of his daze. Jungkook continued to hold Na-ri for a long time until she finally stopped shaking. He then pulled her back and gestured for her to pay attention. 

"Go to your room and wait for me there." Jungkook was the one shaking now. "Don't come out until I come for you." 

"What is going on?" She was clearly terrified. 

"It's going to be okay." Jungkook put on a fake smile trying to reassure her. "I promise." 

Na-ri nodded and wobbly stood up, making her way to her room. Jungkook remained seated for a while longer, ignoring the pain in his legs. He was trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. He finally stood up and walked to his and Taehyung's room. He pulled out his suitcase and put most of his clothes inside. Every single time he put a piece of clothing inside, he would shiver. The idea of leaving Taehyung hurt him, but he was doing what he had to. Getting away from whatever was coming. _Was he?_

He finished packing and then walked down to his office. He took the painting off the wall and opened the safe. His and Na-ri's passport were inside alongside some important documents and some money from different currencies. He picked everything up and put it in his hand bag. There was one last thing and he would not leave that house without it. His insurance. It was in Taehyung's office. Jungkook walked down the stairs and headed for the forbidden room. His office had always been off limits, but it didn't matter anymore. He would go and get what was his. Once a gift, always a gift. Taehyung was sitting behind his desk, staring out the glass wall.

"The pendant." Jungkook said sternly. "I'm not leaving without it." 

Taehyung did not move or do anything, so Jungkook just ignored the man and walked up to the bookshelf that occupied most of the right side of the room. It was a specific book. One with a black cover and red lettering. _Singularity_. The key to his safe. Jungkook knew exactly where it was. He walked up to the bookshelf and pulled on the book. There was a small creak and a small door opened behind the books. Inside there were many things, but the only thing that mattered was the green velvet box. Jungkook picked it up and did not even bother to open. He knew that it was inside. 

"Leave already." Taehyung was still staring out the glass wall. 

"What was on that paper?" Jungkook knew he would not answer. 

"I am doing this for you." 

"You selfish fuck." Jungkook laughed, but his chest hurt. "Don't you dare lie to me. Nothing you ever did was for me." 

"For the first time it is." Taehyung sounded dead. 

"K and N." Jungkook finally realized what those letters were. "His initials."

Taehyung turned around to face him. His face was too pale and he had a gun in his hand. 

"Are you going to do him a favor?" Jungkook was angry. 

Taehyung was silent. 

"This city is yours. This fucking country is yours." Jungkook was almost screaming. "Are you going to just give it to him? After all you took from me?" 

"I cannot protect you." Taehyung's voice cracked. "Not anymore." 

"I don't need your fucking protection." Jungkook walked forward. "Admit it! Just admit that you are fucking scared! This has nothing to do with me!" 

"I _am_ scared." Taehyung hissed. "Scared of losing it all." 

"Good." Jungkook grinned. "Now I can finally sit on _my_ throne." 

"Yes." Taehyung put the gun on the desk. "It's yours." 

"Pathetic." Jungkook growled. "I rather see you die sitting on it than ruining my own life by sitting on that shit." 

Taehyung put his face in his palms. Jungkook knew that man had hit rock bottom and it was likely because of him. He had thought about leaving, but now everything screamed for him to stay. They had done it all by now. Survived through assassination attempts, betrayals, explosions, police investigations and every single obstacle that had been set in front of them. Together. He had lost everything in the process of having it all. Controlling it all. If that man was back, they would deal with him like Taehyung had done the first time. But this time, he would make sure he stayed dead. Jungkook was not greedy, but he was not the weak and pathetic kid he had been once. He owned that country alongside Taehyung. They made sure everything was the way they wanted. The way they shaped it to be. He would not be threatened in his own territory. Not by that annoying piece of shit. 

"Do you want me to beg?" Taehyung lowered his hands. "For you not to leave me?" 

Jungkook grinned and walked up to Taehyung, turning his chair and making him face him. He pinched his chin and tilted his head up, making sure Taehyung was looking him in the eyes. 

"Get on your knees." Jungkook's tone was dark.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaaand we are DONE! It's been a long journey up until now. This all started in July/2020 and ended in October/2020 and boy it was INTENSE. Blood Lily is 477 pages long and I still have a lot that was taken out (so much drama was left out hehe sorry). So A LOT. But it was so good to put it down somewhere and I can only hope that you all enjoyed as much as I did. Feel free to tell me if you like it or not. 
> 
> There might be a few more excluded chapters coming up, but I'm still not sure about it. Let's see! It's a lot of Taekook angsty moments, cute moments and scenes by Taehyung's perspective (including the final chapter).
> 
> Thank you all so much for the love up until now! Blood Lily is done!!
> 
> PS: If you like NCT (127/Dream/WayV) and Fantasy AU, feel free to check my other story, ETHOS.


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